Blindsided
by lipstickletter
Summary: "Your parents' reaction wasn't that big of a surprise and your brother treated me just as Rosalie treats you. It will all blow over, but me coming across the globe for you, Alice, honey, you're doing that for me." Sequel to Starry Eyed.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to _Starry Eyed_. If you haven't read that, go and check that out and then come back here. Thanks. **

**A/N: This story is named "Blindsided" after the Bon Iver song. It was the song that inspired the last chapter of _Starry Eyed_. Plus, I thought keeping the 'eye' reference around was a good thing. Quick recap: Alice and Jasper are engaged, Alice is in NY, Jasper's in Portland. Kay, done.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I just own the situation. Meyer owns all. **

I jerked forward as the plane finally landed. I had taken a decent nap after being stuck in the plane for hours after our intended departure time. It was a four and a half hour flight, but with the weather, it added a few extra hours—with the time change it was worse. We left at 11 and got to New York at six in the morning. Wonderful. At least I was able to sleep; on the way there I hadn't slept a wink. This time I had a small crick in my neck and that gross fuzzy feeling in my mouth, but I felt well rested. The plane slowed to a stop as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, glancing down at the ring on my left hand. Whoa.

I leaned my back against the cushion of the seat and stared at the ring intently. A month had gone by and I already committed myself to a man—a single dad with an adorable daughter and a dorky dream of being a teacher. I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back, letting the smile spread across my face as the flight attendant welcomed the other passengers to New York.

I opened up my carry-on bag and turned on my phone, immediately bombarded with a few text messages. One was from Edward saying he got wind of the delay and would still pick me up—as if I was worrying. The second was from my manager telling me I had an appointment with everyone at Jen Kao tomorrow at noon. Another was from Jasper telling me to call him when I landed no matter what time it was. The final was from Vera; it said: _congratulations. _

As the passengers slowly, but surely thinned out, I stood up and waited at the back of the line, dialing Jasper's number hesitantly. It was three in the morning there—I felt bad, but I knew he'd call in a panic as soon as he got up if he hadn't heard from me. I would just leave a message and tell him I was all right.

"I was wondering when you'd call," he answered groggily. I immediately felt guilty. I had woken him up.

"Crap, go back to sleep," I whined and he chuckled. I hadn't realized I would miss him this much and it had only been a few hours since I had last seen him.

"You landed," he ignored my last plea and I sighed. I heard the television on in the background—he stayed up or had at least tried to. There was no television in his room, he must have stayed on the couch by the phone with—he was too sweet. I hopped out of my seat and left the plane, going through the boarding ramp and into the airport.

"You stayed up," I replied, hearing the television shut off and the creaking of the couch as he got up. "Jazz, you didn't have to—"

"You would've done the same for me," he retorted and I smiled as I paused in front of the sign to find my way to baggage claim where Bella and Edward would be meeting me. "Six in the morning there, whoa," he mused and I mumbled in agreement, just wanting to hear his voice a bit more. It made the situation a bit more real. "Did you sleep at all?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah—a couple hours," I said with a sigh. "I'm going to baggage claim now to meet Edward and Bella." The airport was pretty deserted, only filled with a handful of people ready to fly out that early in the morning. There were more security guards and employees than passengers, but I ignored it all as I passed a coffee stand and licked my lips at the temptation, but I didn't want to pause my conversation with Jasper, so I kept walking.

"Alright," he replied in a whisper and I heard the creaking of a door on the other side of the line. I imagined him checking on Annabelle before heading to his bedroom to lay on his worn, old mattress and close his eyes as he spoke.

"You told Vera," I accused with a smirk and right on cue, I heard the squeaky door to his bedroom shut.

"I did," he said and I could almost see the smile in his voice. "She watched Annabelle while I was gone. I told Rosalie, too." His voice was a bit more hesitant there. "Why, are you regretting—"

"Of course not, Jasper," I cut him off quickly, "She congratulated me, I was wondering how she knew. I'm glad you told her." He sighed, breaking some of the tension. "What did Rosalie say?" I asked curiously as I went to the escalator and stepped on, letting it take me slowly down to the first level.

"She was—happy for me, I guess," he said uncomfortably. I hopped off the last step of the escalator and squinted as I stood on my toes to look over the bit of the crowd to look for Bella and Edward.

"She'll come around," I assured him and he muttered an incoherent reply. "Get some sleep, please," I begged him and he chuckled.

"I miss you," he confessed sadly. I imagined his childish pout breaking out into a dimpled crooked and irresistible smile. My heart ached for a moment at the thought of it and I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.

"God, you have no idea," I replied and he responded with another humorless breathy laugh. "I love you, Jasper," the words stung my lips with a newfound electricity.

"I love you, too," he responded simply, sending my heart into palpitations.

"I'll call later," I promised him. "Maybe after I unpack… and I want to talk to Annabelle, too!" How was he going to tell her? I wondered if he already had, but then I agreed that perhaps telling her with me in the room would be more appropriate. She wouldn't understand long-distance… I wasn't sure anyone would.

"Alright, alright," I could almost picture his grin before I caught Bella's gaze. He must have heard my gasp and I heard his tired laugh again. "I'll talk to you later," he said.

"Love you! Get some sleep, Jazz," I ordered before I hung up the phone and slipped into my bag. I saw Bella walking—as best as her clumsy-self could—to me, but I met her halfway in a run, standing on my toes as we hugged. I wrapped my arms around her neck and her arms were around my waist as we rocked back and forth. I squealed, her cheeks flushed, and Edward came up behind her laughing at the scene I made.

"Nice to see you, too, Alice," she struggled to breathe in my tight grasp and I pulled back, grinning.

"Sister-in-law," I squealed with an explosion of giggles and Edward rolled his eyes, steadying Bella as her skin turned as red as a tomato. I tackled Edward in a hug and he picked me up slightly, smiling despite his tough-guy exterior. "You missed me!" I accused, jumping back to my feet and grinning all the while.

"Let me take your bag," Edward ignored my last comment and took my carry-on bag as we walked toward the baggage claim conveyor belt. "Oh, I have a surprise for you," he said, glancing down at me and then looking back ahead with a smirk tugging at his lips. I narrowed my eyes and tried to look over to see what he was talking about until I saw them.

"Mom!" I squealed, sprinting over to my mother standing with my luggage already next to her. I hugged her and she mirrored my enthusiasm as we rocked back and forth, squeezing one another until we were breathless. I hadn't seen my mom for two months; from my month away and the month where she had been moving her things to their retirement home in the Hamptons, I hadn't had a chance to see her during her remodeling of their new home.

Still, her hair retained the same brilliant caramel curls and her sense of style still hadn't changed; she was classic like Audrey Hepburn. I envied her fashion sense, but then again, that's where mine came from. Esme Cullen was nothing without her forever-young looking doctor husband and my father, who looked as he had when he was in his twenties, the same golden hair, same clean-cut Harvard boy stature and the same polite manners that any girl would kill for.

As we pulled back, I moved to hug my father. "I missed you," I confessed, kissing his cheek as he picked me up with a smile, telling me I looked well and that he missed me, too, but mom knew something was different about me.

"Carlisle, set her down," she said hurriedly. Dad obliged and I settled to my feet as my mom took my arm and pulled me over to look at me in the eyes, watching me intently for what felt like hours. The cliché that _mothers know best_ or even _mothers know everything_ is completely true. "Who is he?" she asked sternly. I sighed and rolled my eyes at her spot-on analysis.

"Whoa," Edward noticed the right a second before I raised my left hand to show my mother the simple, but elegant engagement ring.

"His name's Jasper," I answered giddily, no longer caring about my voice shaking uncontrollably with excitement. "And we're getting married," I continued. My mom grabbed my hand and studied the ring with her mouth agape before we hugged again, this time she squeezed the life out of me.

"Mom, mom," I gasped, struggling to break free, but she wouldn't have it.

"I'll go get the car," I heard my dad say, knowing a congratulations would be better later when we weren't around an airport and my mom wasn't suffocating me. "Edward, take her bags and bring them to the door."

Soon enough, Edward had managed to break me free from mom's excited death-grip and we were sitting in the Mercedes, Carlisle and Edward in the front while Bella, mom, and I crammed in the back seat. I sat in the middle as Bella and mom looked at my ring, gabbing about how perfect it was for me. She decided against asking me questions about the "mystery man" until we were back at the apartment. It was a three hour drive back to the city, but it turned into four hours with the traffic of commuting workers. Edward was oddly quiet, but I knew he was protective; he wouldn't trust Jasper until he met him, but he would love him, I knew he would.

The apartment was spotless and I had guessed Edward knew of our parents visiting for a while because I don't remember the place _ever _being that clean. The smell was the same: warm and inviting with a hint of incense. I looked over to see the bouquet of freesias, dried and hung from the wall with a ribbon around it. I smiled sadly, upset that I had missed Edward's romantic outburst, but grateful I had missed the aftermath. I wouldn't have to hear the noise and hopefully I had missed the most of their bedroom rendezvous... yuck.

Edward and dad had carried up my luggage to the apartment, putting it in my room while I sat on the couch, taking off my flats and stretching my legs as my mom sat next to me. Everyone seemed to gather around wanting to hear more. I blushed a bit, not knowing how to begin. I felt self-conscious. Naturally, of course, since I had only known my fiancé for a month, but—oh, _fiancé…_ I liked that.

"What's he like?" my mom asked excitedly, putting her hand on my arm as if that would help me open up easier.

"Um—amazing," I replied perkily and she laughed happily for me. I knew my mom would ease me into telling everyone and was happy she was the one who pointed it out. I couldn't see myself telling everyone without someone asking.

"He's taller, of course," my mom continued with a proud grin. I nodded eagerly; picturing our extreme height difference, how just kissing him was an ordeal. The way he'd hold my waist and hoist me up, but I had to still stand on my toes to reach him as he craned his neck and our lips just barely—I missed him.

"He's really tall—a little taller than Edward," I replied with another nod. "Blonde, green eyes—god, what else do you want to know about him?" I asked with a nervous giggle. I wasn't giving him justice; I knew he would be laughing if he heard this conversation.

"What does he do for a living?" my dad asked and I saw Edward straighten up showing interest in the subject, too. Guys were all the same. They were too protective of me. It was foolish.

"He's a student, but he works on the side to pay for classes and the house and—" Annabelle. Oh god, _that_ wouldn't go over well. How was I supposed to tell them about Annabelle? Oh yeah, he has a kid, too. Ugh. I'd let that out at a better time. "He's a computer programmer for some company, but he wants to be a history professor," I continued and my mom whispered 'aw' quietly.

"Does he have close family?" Bella asked, squeezing Edward's hand to relax his narrowing eyes and defensive stature.

"His parents passed away when he was eighteen—he has a sister, though. She's a model and has a wardrobe to-die-for. She's the typical blonde bombshell, you can't go out with her without guys staring, but then she has Emmett and I'm sure he's going to pop the question when she stops moving around. He looks at her like she's a goddess and—I'm rambling," I stopped with a laugh.

"Any baggage?" Edward interjected and Bella swatted his arm. "What? He can't be perfect; he has to have something wrong." My smile faded as mom chimed in to hush him.

"Be happy for Alice," she scolded him. "Obviously this guy must have bent over backwards to win her heart," she teased. "I mean in only a month, my goodness," she turned her attention back to me and I nodded. "Was it shorter than that?"

"No, I went to a bar the night I landed and he was there—he, uh, bought me a drink, brought me to my hotel, and—"

"You're not giving him any points here," Edward interrupted again, his voice stern and unwavering. I shot him a glare and continued.

"He was a gentleman. He called me the next morning to make sure I was all right and then brought me around Portland. We went to the beach and oh my gosh, you should see the Pacific coast, it is beautiful," I gabbed. "I have pictures somewhere in my bag…"

"We'll see later," mom interrupted. "What about—" right on cue, I heard my phone buzz and looked to the chair across the room where my bag lay. I jumped up and darted over, fishing around for my phone frantically as I looked for it, hearing Bella and my mom laugh at my excitement.

"Hi," I answered the phone out of breath and I heard his familiar chuckle warm my body. Immediately, I smiled and went into my bedroom, kicking my luggage to the floor. "Before you start—did you sleep?" I asked, curling up on the bed and facing the window as a light drizzle began to fall upon Manhattan.

"Yes, I did. A good couple hours, too, before Annabelle woke me," he replied and I heard Annabelle singing along to her favorite television cartoon show's intro.

"You shouldn't have waited up," I mumbled, hearing Annabelle's sweet happy voice fade as I guessed he left the room.

"Hush," he replied and after a small pause, he asked, "so, how are you?"

"Uh, good. My mom and dad were at the airport and my mom saw the ring and well—" I trailed off, laughing nervously. "My mom is already in love with you, but Edward's—protective. I don't know about my dad. I'm sure if he met you, he'd have an opinion."

"I'm sorry. I rushed into it—if I could have, I would've asked his permission first," Jasper assured me and I closed my eyes remembering his boyish troubled gaze. His eyes grew wide as if he were just caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Such the gentleman," I smiled, trying to picture his face behind my closed lids. "Why'd you call, I said I would," I asked and he hesitated. I heart cabinets shut and the sound of the incredibly loud coffee maker.

"I missed your voice," he confessed and my body shivered slightly.

"I miss you," I complained in a whisper.

"I miss you, too," he sighed sadly and I pouted, wanting to book the next flight to Portland, but I knew I had to do this and it would get better with time—maybe. This was the first day, for goodness sake. "I'll leave you back to your family," he said after a long pause.

"No," I whined, cutting him off a bit too quickly. "I don't want to hang up."

"When is your meeting?" he changed the subjects and I was thankful, knowing that so long as we still had something to talk about, we wouldn't need to part.

"Tomorrow at noon I meet with Jen Kao's entourage," I said. "If they like me, I'm going to Paris. If they don't, I'm going straight back to you," I promised and he laughed sadly.

"Is it bad that I want them to hate you?" he asked with another heavy and dramatic sigh.

"Is it bad that _I_ want them to hate me?" I replied and we both laughed, our laughter syncing to form a perfect harmony of soprano and bass. My heart ached more and I closed my eyes tighter, forcing myself to form an image of him, but the sound of pots and pans broke me out of my concentration. "Alright, I should go," I said, sitting up and looking toward the door.

"Call me tonight so I can wish you luck," he commanded uneasily.

"Are you kidding? I'm going to call you before I leave, too," I said with a laugh, but I was cut off by another bang of pots and pans coming from the kitchen and I knew this wouldn't turn out good. Mom claimed that she could cook, but Bella was the only chef in the place. I hoped Bella was insisting that she cook breakfast for all of us. "Love you, bye," I said hurriedly, opening my door and going toward the kitchen to watch the incident unfold.

"Love you, too."

* * *

**I miss Jasper... lol review? I have a few plans for this story, but what do you want to see more of? Leave it in a review. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight characters. Stephenie Meyer does. **

"Lilies or roses?"

"I beg your pardon?" Jasper replied on the other end of the phone. I was sitting in the living room with bridal magazines in my lap. I was supposed to be planning for Bella, but she didn't have an opinion on anything. Still, I couldn't help, but thinking about myself as I saw the different bouquets.

"Flowers, Jasper," I rolled my eyes; maybe this wasn't the best way to start a conversation. In the middle of Bella's indecision, I picked up the phone and called Jasper. Bella was tiptoeing to the bedroom door to escape, but I waved my arms, beckoning her forward with my pointer finger. "Don't even think about it," I warned her.

"Alice," Jasper brought me back to the conversation.

"Sorry," I giggled as Bella reluctantly sat back down, but looked anxiously toward the front door, waiting for Edward to come back from bringing my parents to get a few celebratory items and save her. She was dramatic. "I like the idea of roses because it's classic and romantic, but then I thought that lilies are so—"

"You're asking me about flowers?" he cut me off with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess that wasn't such a good idea," I sighed, moving to the floor and sitting on my knees as I flipped through other magazines for an innocent one Bella could look at. I handed her the bridal gown magazine and tapped the front cover. She would look perfect in its classic lace bodice and A-line skirt. She was traditional and didn't want any cleavage. This would be simple.

"How was your meeting?" Jasper asked and I sighed. How would I break this to him?

"I have some bad news," I pouted, watching Bella gawk at a hideous dress on the third page. I leaned over and flipped the page shaking my head. I would get her in that first dress or so help me...

"Uh-oh," Jasper replied, his tone deepening. "Go ahead, lay it on me."

"They loved me," I whined and after a short pause, Jasper laughed loudly. "I go to Paris Friday," I continued to complain. "Three weeks in Paris, I'll be back around Christmas. We're having a celebration tonight with champagne and crap." Well that certainly wasn't like me. Parties, celebrations, that was all me. That's what made the world go round. My friends were all planning a huge party for me tonight, but no one knew of my engagement either. I was debating taking the ring off.

"Congratulations," he said genuinely and I bit the inside of my cheek. I didn't want this. I knew Jasper would wait for me, but I didn't want my life falling into place when I had an amazing guy I missed so much across the globe. Everything was working out: I was engaged, had a steady job now, an amazing opportunity to go to Paris, and then what? So I go to Paris and quit when I come home? "Please be happy for yourself, this is an amazing opportunity," Jasper interrupted my thoughts. I sighed shakily, nodding.

I was happy for myself. I was proud and excited, but I didn't know how the job was going to work out. Was I going to run out of there with my paycheck or did I need to stick around after Paris? How long would Jasper wait for me? Before I could psych myself out further, I heard Annabelle in the receiver.

"Dad," she whined. "When's Aunt Rose coming over?"

"In an hour, beautiful," he replied and I smiled, my heart aching to see Annabelle. "Can you give me that dress back? I have to wash it."

"No!" she shouted and I heard her little feet pounding against the wood floors as she ran away from him.

Jasper sighed and groaned a little. "She won't take off the dress you made her."

"You're boosting my ego," I replied with a grin and I heard him laugh.

"Annabelle, do you want to talk to Alice? I'll wash your dress while you're on the phone and you can have it right back," he tried to bribe her and Annabelle seemed to weigh her options before I heard her little exuberant voice grace my presence.

"Alice?" she asked wearily.

"Hi, Annabelle," I greeted, not trying to hide the grin that fell to my face. "How are you?"

"Alice!" she squealed. "I'm good. Aunt Rose is coming over to make cookies!" she exclaimed with her adorable glee. I didn't think I'd miss her as much as Jasper, but she defied the odds and I sat on my living room floor, leaning on the coffee table as I tried to soothe my aching heart. I didn't want to go to Paris.

"Good! She can bake amazing cookies," I enthused, smiling as I heard her agree. I imagined her strawberry blonde curls bounce with each step as her father's dimpled smile appeared on her face. "What else is happening?"

"Daddy's being mean." I missed her adorable lisp. "He took down our fort 'cause he said we had to clean my room. It's not fair!"

"It's okay, I'll make another one for you—" Wow, I shouldn't make promises. My heart pounded faster as I thought of her crying and asking me why I hadn't come back. _You promised. _I had to keep it. "I'm sorry your dad is so mean," I said with a laugh. "I'll yell at him for you, okay?"

"Good, maybe he'll listen to you," she sighed dramatically and I laughed again as I heard Jasper scoop her up and tickle her to death. "Stop!" she squealed over and over in her fit of giggles before I heard him in the receiver.

"I'll call you back," he said with a laugh before I heard an explosion of more giggles echo into the receiver. We both said our goodbyes before I hung up and looked up to see Bella staring at me. Had she heard—Crap.

"Who's Annabelle?" she asked, glancing back down at the magazine. My heart accelerated and I didn't know why. It was Bella. She wouldn't care if he had a daughter, would she? She would tell Edward, though, and he certainly would care. "Alice…" she continued, but still, I didn't say anything. She heard, she knew, but I couldn't fess up. I stood up and shut my magazine, going into the kitchen to find something to drink. Bella followed and so I forced myself to own up to it. Here was his baggage.

"Annabelle is his daughter," it wasn't a question; she knew. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, wondering how this would go. Bella wasn't as upfront with her opinions as Rosalie was. I was sure Bella would ask questions rather than lash out, but I was wrong. She was—angry. It wasn't like her, but I could only guess Edward's feelings rubbed off on her.

"You're marrying him, you're moving across the country for him, and you left that part out?" she continued, but I tried to ignore her. I opened up a few cabinets looking for nothing in particular, just trying to keep my eyes busy. "Are you going to speak or—"

"Don't tell him," I begged in a near whisper. My hand froze on the handle of the cabinet as I looked at Bella with pleading eyes. "Please, don't tell him. I don't want him to hear it from you." Bella furrowed her brow, taking a step forward.

"You're expecting me not to tell Edward?" she asked and I sighed.

"I know it sounds bad, but all Edward wants to do is find something wrong about him so the whole family doesn't approve. I just want to tell him when he's more open-minded," I said hurriedly. "He's divorced, his wife left him and her daughter when she was only a couple months old. He's a single dad; the mom isn't in the picture, but it's complicated and Edward won't understand. I don't want my parents thinking he's not right for me before they even meet—" Before I could finish, the front door opened and my family came in.

"Oh no," Edward said with mock horror. "Bella's been eaten by wedding plans," his voice came closer as he entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Bella from behind. "I'm sorry I left you unprotected. It won't happen again," he said, smiling and kissing her jaw. Noticing her expression, he looked up at me for an explanation. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Bella said, looking away from me and toward the door as my parents came in with a bag of champagne and a bakery box.

"You didn't have to get a cake!" I exclaimed, pouting. "It's not that big of a deal." Who was this girl and what had she done with Alice? Edward looked at me, noting the sudden change, but my mom wrapped me in a hug, blocking my view.

"Are you kidding? Our babies are growing up so fast," she cried. "Edward getting married, you going to Paris and this husband-to-be across the country—Carlisle, dear, when did we get so old?" she wiped the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. My father smiled warmly at me, mouthing, "water works," to which he was hit playfully by my mother.

"All right, I'm going to change and then we'll go out for dinner or—" I looked toward Bella, who was a little busy with Edward, but she caught my gaze and nodded.

"I'll cook!" Bella interrupted. Without her cooking, she would be vulnerable to Edward questions. He would get to the bottom of our conversation earlier. With her busy in the kitchen, I'd prepare myself to constantly ask him wedding questions or anything to keep him away from Bella. "How does Italian sound?" Everyone made mumbles of enthusiasm before my mom took my hand, leading me into the living room and pushing the wedding magazines aside.

"I have a question to ask," she said, sitting on the couch while I sat beside her. "Well, it's not really a question because I already went out without your permission and—" Whoa, what?

"Mom, what are you talking about?" My father came to sit on the armchair and Edward found his place beside him, but the two were watching my mother and I silently. They knew about this, whatever it was, and they were preparing for a freak-out. I could tell.

"I bought one plane ticket for Jasper to come meet all of us before you leave for Paris," she explained slowly and my heart accelerated. "Honey, I know that after Paris is over and done with, you'll run on over to Portland and I just want to meet him before you run away. I want to make sure this is right for you."

"Mom, I leave on Friday," I said with a hiccup in my voice. "You're not giving me any notice—Hell, you're not giving_ him _any notice." I struggled to piece this all together in my head, but it wasn't working. Before Friday, one plane ticket, Jasper was coming here? It was impossible. He couldn't with work, with college, and with Annabelle. Annabelle—oh no.

"Yes, but I just thought that he could get off of work for a few days and have someone else take notes for him for his classes I mean, it's only November, so midterms passed and finals aren't until December," she had thought this through. "And I paid for the tickets, so he doesn't need to pay. Don't have him give me anything in return. I want to do this for him. I want to do this for all of us."

"He can't just pick up and leave," I insisted. "I mean, I'm sure he would love to, he said so himself, but—"

"Well, wonderful!" she exclaimed and I closed my eyes, looking down into my lap. _This couldn't be happening. _"Honey, this would be great for you, too. I mean, you get to see him before you leave and from your every-hour-on-the-hour phone calls, I think you'd both love that." _This couldn't be happening._ Her hands moved to my lap, lacing her fingers with mine and squeezing reassuringly. "I just don't want to miss out on the huge steps you're taking." It finally hit me.

This was all happening too fast. I flew to Portland, met a guy, had too many drinks, begged for him to stay at my place, and was left alone. I called him like a lovesick teenage girl and when we made love I felt invigorated. I stayed up all night with Ben and Jerry, waiting for him to call. I barged into his house, demanded to know what his problem was, and was found staring at his daughter. That didn't keep me away; I stayed until the end of the month where I left after another one of our small quarrels. He came with ring in hand to apologize and I said yes. I got a job that takes me to Paris and a family in New York and yet I am choosing a guy in Portland, Oregon that I've only known for a month. I would be away for another three weeks in Paris before stumbling back to Portland to get married. And then what? Have a house, kids, and happily ever after?

"Alice?" I barely heard my father as he approached me, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. _Jasper—think of Jasper, for Christ's sake, Alice! This wasn't a mistake!_ I was just psyching myself out!_ It wasn't a mistake; please don't second-guess._ "Edward, get her a glass of water," he continued.

If Jasper said he couldn't come, there was no excuse. Work and school could easily be moved around for five days and with them not knowing about Annabelle, they would assume he didn't want to meet them. I should've said something yesterday. I shouldn't have said yes so eagerly. I would still be with him now, just without a ring on my finger… But how long would he have waited without it?

"Alice, honey," my mom's voice reverberated in my head and I closed my eyes tighter to stop the noise. "Why is she crying?" her voice grew thick with worry. I was crying? Oh god…

"It's too fast," I murmured and immediately loathed myself for uttering it out loud. The world suddenly stopped, all eyes stared at me as I finally processed the incredibly hectic emotional month I had. "It's all too fast," I repeated, but as I closed my eyes again, I saw Jasper. I saw Jasper's infectious smile, his emerald gaze, and his dorky ambitions. I saw his warmth, his love, his compassion, and his overprotective air. I saw his hand holding the ring I wore on my left hand to pledge myself to him.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was up and off the couch, scrambling with my cell phone in hand to dial his number. My parents called after me, but I didn't listen. I closed the bathroom door and leaned back against it, sliding down and sitting on the tiled floor before locking myself inside. The phone rang monotonously before he answered with a carefree, "hello?"

"It's too fast," I gasped out between hysterics. God, I needed to get a grip, but I didn't care. I needed to get this out now. I could barely feel anything else beside my constricting chest as sobs continued to wrack my body.

"Whoa," he didn't expect this kind of phone call. "Alice, calm down," he hushed me, but I wanted to know. I didn't want to be hushed and told to keep it in anymore. "What happened? What's too fast?"

"What _isn't _too fast?" I exclaimed. "A month and I'm making huge career moves, huge life changes, and I can't catch up. I just nod my head and go where life is taking me, but I can't—" I trailed off as the sobs were too much to handle. I hiccupped and I could hear a door shut on his end of the phone. He stepped away from Annabelle—her hearing my freak-out wouldn't be so good.

"Alice, try and calm down, please," he begged, his voice even and calm as he sighed. I closed my eyes tightly, slowing my breath to match his that echoed heavily into the receiver. "Calm down," he whispered over and over again. I listened to the thick bass of his voice as it cut right through me, easily relaxing my tension to a dull discomfort. "Better?" he asked once he noticed my regular breathing pattern and I mumbled a reply. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, still trying to calm the unease in my body. "My mom bought you a plane ticket to come visit before Friday," I explained slowly and I hesitated, not wanting to explain further.

"Okay…" he trailed off, waiting for more that I wasn't about to tell. "That's very nice of her, but she knows I can't drop everything, though, right? I mean, with Annabelle—I don't think I can have Rose watch her for a week with so little notice and I don't think she'd do well on a plane for four and a half hours," he said with a small chuckle. At my silence, his laughter died and the tension immediately came back. "I can talk to her if you want, but Alice I don't understand how that made you upset—"

"No, I—she doesn't know about," my voice literally left my throat before I could finish my sentence.

"Annabelle," he finished with a sigh. "You didn't tell her about Annabelle," he repeated, his tone wary, but somehow accepting. "I can see why…"

"Don't sound so understanding," I choked out.

"Well, am I supposed to fight with you while you're across the country?" he retorted and I kept my mouth shut. "So really I have no way out of this. I mean, school and work can easily be cut out and if I don't go then it seems like I don't want to get to know them," he spoke rhetorically of course, but I listened as he thought it through. "I can ask Rosalie—I'm sure she's jump at the thought of spending the week with Annabelle, but I don't know if she'd be so willing if she knew it was for me to see you… There's Vera, too. Charlotte definitely would like to, but I don't think I can trust her for a few days especially not with—"

"Don't drop everything for me," I whispered. He was coming so he could tell them himself. So he could make a good impression, tell my parents he loved me, and also tell them of the daughter I had neglected to mention. He was saving me the trouble and saving himself the first impression.

"You're dropping everything for me, Alice," he replied sincerely.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was a huge jump for me. About halfway through (exactly where Alice realizes) I realized this was way too fast! A month? Whoa! I was writing it and hadn't planned Esme buying him a plane ticket, but I thought how else would she meet Jasper? Plus, she's the kind of mother to do that! She wants to meet the guy who won her only daughter's heart in only a month. I had Bella hearing the conversation planned, but not the entire end of the chapter and for the past two days, I've been thinking of different scenarios of how I can change it to better fit what I have planned later, but I decided this would be best and I'd alter a bit of everything else. **

**ALSO! I wanted to make it a little clearer that Jasper wants to go so that the parents meet him and approve before he says "oh hey, I have a daughter." THAT wouldn't go over well. And with Alice freaking out I'm sure he just wants to see her before she leaves for Paris. ANOTHER THING! Would you like a music playlist of what I'm listening to while writing this or no? Leave it in a review! Okay! So thank you for reading and review, please. :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Annabelle belongs to me. **

"You can't?" My voice cracked and I leaned my head against the wall in the hallway, taking a deep breath. _Calm down, Alice, you'll find a way to get him out of this mess. _

"I'm sorry," Jasper was immediately apologetic and that just made this hurt more. I was keeping a vital point of his life away from my parents and now begging him to be the one to tell them. It wasn't right and he was too good to be so forgiving. "You know I want to. Rosalie refused, Charlotte's parents are coming into town, and Vera is too swamped with work." I closed my eyes and tried to think of what to tell my mom. How would I make it seem like Jasper had a legitimate excuse without mentioning his daughter?

"Okay, I'll figure something out," I murmured, glancing down the hall to make sure I didn't have an audience. I heard everyone chatting away in the living room and guessed that they were uninterested. I began pacing a bit in my worn plaid pajama bottoms and oversized sweatshirt. I thought of pulling out Jasper's shirt that I still had from our second night together. I wondered if it still had his smell; maybe that would get me through all of—

"Actually, you don't have to," he replied with a newfound confidence. "If you'd let me talk to your mother myself I'm sure I'd be able to explain that a family emergency came up." I scoffed; how would he win that one? What family emergency? My mom would ask twenty questions; she was quite the nosey gossiper. "I have a story planned, don't worry about it. Let me speak to her and I'll call you back later."

"You better have an ingenious plan here," I said with a humorless laugh as I slowly walked into the next room. My parents were sitting on the couch smiling and laughing at a recent joke Bella had told. She sat on the chair across from them, a permanent flush to her cheeks. Edward was nowhere to be found, but I hadn't seen much of him that day. I heard him slamming a few cabinets, but when I came out of my room, he stormed in his bedroom. I wondered if he and Bella had one of their nothing fights again. My mom seemed to be knocked from the conversation when I came in the room and I smiled, waving her over.

"Hush," Jasper whispered with a breathy chuckle. "I love you." Those three words still made my knees weak.

"Love you, too," I replied, my voice shaking with a bit of glee. My mom was up from her chair and in front of me within a moment. I held the phone down and smiled, still slightly nervous, "he wants to speak to you."

"Me?" she asked excitedly. Her grin was hard to ignore; it looked almost painful. When I nodded and handed her the phone, she eagerly took it. "I finally get to speak to the famous Jasper," she greeted him with her normal warm tone. She walked down the hall to the kitchen and I went into the living room to explain her absence.

My dad looked up, obviously confused by my mother's disappearance, but he still had a smile on his face from the previous conversation with Bella. He approved of Bella right away. As soon as Edward brought her to the Hamptons to meet the family—relatives and all—my father approved. He claimed it was the look in his son's eye: the protective and completely smitten romantic gaze that I felt I had for Jasper. Even when Bella didn't fit in with the upper class hoity-toity aunts and uncles of mine, my father defended her when a few of Aunt Jane was a bit too scathing. I hoped he would treat Jasper just the same… I could only hope.

"Where's your mother run off to, we have to leave in ten minutes," he asked, glancing at his watch. Now, my parents were here for the week until my Paris departure, but they were also here to visit old friends that still lived in the big city. My father was meeting his old colleague and his wife, bringing my mother along with him. This would leave me to wallow or press wedding plans! Oh, it was getting better already!

"Jasper wanted to talk to her," to this his eyes widened. No one spoke to him, but me. I jokingly thought everyone would find him to be fictional, but here he was on the phone with my mother in the other room. "She'll be done in a few."

"What about?" my father asked and I could hear a different emotion in his voice: a tinge of jealousy, for lack of a better word. Of course my father would want to speak with him first, to know that he was even sane enough to speak to my mother. I smiled faintly at the thought.

"He can't come in this week," I replied, now unsure if I should continue. I knew he had a family emergency as his excuse, but what about the details? That I didn't know. Still, my father wasn't nosey and would ask my mother about this on their walk to their brunch reunion. "Family emergency. He wanted to apologize to her and thank her for the offer."

I almost jumped with excitement when I noticed my father's smile of approval. He liked that Jasper didn't just have me as the messenger. All right, there was still hope in the sucking-up-to-the-in-laws ordeal. "I'm going to go shower, so you two have fun and I'll see you later. Tell mom to just leave my phone on the coffee table." I kissed his cheek before bouncing off to my bedroom and digging through my still unpacked suitcase. What was the point in unpacking when I'd just be out again on Friday? I had already done laundry in Portland and the items that needed to be dry-cleaned would be back before I left and added to the overflowing mass of clothing.

I pulled out a simple grey dress with patches of yellow and floral patterns, pairing it with leggings and a cardigan. I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the steam fill up the room and bombard me, engulfing every thought I had had that day and dissipating it with ease. I quickly submerged myself beneath the showerhead, letting the water beat my skin until it turned my normal pallor into a deep crimson flush. I managed my way out of the bathroom in my dress, sporting a towel on my head as I dried it haphazardly. I walked into the living room and noticed my phone on the coffee table. My mother would gab about Jasper later, I was sure of it.

I looked around for Edward and Bella, wondering if they were perhaps talking out whatever had happened to them earlier that morning that kept Edward cooped up in his room. I ignored it and went to pour myself some coffee, admiring my new cotton dress that I hadn't managed to wear in Portland. It was a bit too summery for the late fall, but I didn't mind it. The heat was blaring in this tiny apartment. Still, I could use the heat from the coffee and maybe a blanket while I flipped through more bridal magazines. Today was looking up.

I spoke to soon.

I jumped at the sound of a door slamming open. I immediately looked to the hall to see Edward, his face hard and furious, fly toward me. Bella was behind him, stumbling after him and yelling for him to stop. Oh no…

"That's his baggage?" Edward growled, his tone venomous. He stepped closed to me and soon I was against the counter with my big brother over me. I tried to remain stubborn, holding my ground. "He has a daughter? The man you plan to marry after a month has a daughter and you neglect to tell your family?"

I glared over at Bella, who looked distraught. I knew she couldn't keep a secret. "I can't believe you told him," I grumbled before turning my gaze to Edward as he defended her, naturally.

"I have a right to know, Alice! Don't you think we all have a right to know?" his voice was growing in intensity and volume. "And sure he's divorced, but the wife can come back in the picture at any time. What makes you think he's seriously unattached to her? You can't trust him in that short amount of time, Alice it's unhealthy!"

"You're not my big protector!" I yelled back, my voice peaking another octave higher. "This is exactly why I kept it from you! You don't know him, Edward. You have never met him; you have no idea who he is or what he is like. You can't judge him on the past. His daughter doesn't remember her mother, she's been gone since she was three months old and Jasper has taken the responsibility on without any second-guess or regrets. That's admirable in itself!" I turned around, taking a coffee mug off the shelf and pouring a bit of the freshly brewed black liquid into it. I turned back to go to the fridge and get the milk as Edward continued to rant.

"You can't seriously trust him after one month," he muttered under his breath and I brought the warm mug up to my lips, taking a sip as he thought through his thick skull. "Are you pregnant; is that why you're getting married?" I choked on the coffee and glared in his direction, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you serious?" I asked with a dry laugh.

"Well if you've kept _this_ from us, why should you tell me about that?" he retorted. "I could see you getting married this fast because of a baby, but it hasn't been three months, it could be a false alarm or there—are—other… options…" That was enough. I slapped him square across the face and walked out of the kitchen, sitting on the couch in the living room and opening up a magazine while mumbling a string of profanities under my breath.

He wouldn't quit. Not that I was expecting him to. The one thing that kept the family bonded was our genetic stubbornness and need to have the last word in any argument. This left everyone breathless after a heated debacle such as this, but it was in our DNA, what are you going to do?

Edward came over and sat on the coffee table, careful not to sit on the magazines, my phone, or my mug as he let out a rather large breath to calm himself. He wouldn't win a yelling contest. He had over twenty-one years to learn that.

"I know that you think you love this guy," to this, I scoffed. "But it was only a month. How could you decide so easily, so willingly in only a month? Bella and I have known each other for years and we've just now—"

"That's because you were terrified of proposing and you thought she would say no," I growled back. "How many years did you have that ring in your pocket, Edward?" Low blow, but it was true. Edward was scared she would decline when he witnessed Bella's close friendship with an old family friend and since then, he had psyched himself out of ever-moving forward with Bella. It was ridiculous. When love hits you, why not go for it? And I wasn't marrying Jasper tomorrow; I was committed to him. It was a bit different.

I looked up to see Bella peeking her head out from the kitchen. I could kill her for telling him. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! Jasper was supposed to come this week and spend the five days with me, getting to know my family and making the good gentlemanly impression we both planned before he would break the news of his "baggage." I had made it a big deal in my head, but Edward's comments were what I had feared.

_How do you know the wife is out of the picture? You've only known him for a month, Alice, you can't really know… _And if I faced these questions alone without his viral grin and charismatic atmosphere, I would be drowning in a sea of sharks. My mom, no matter how irresistible I had described him, would never approve of this if I simply told her. My father would never forget it and Edward—well, we were facing that now.

"That's not the point," Edward said through clenched teeth, trying to relax. "The point is—" he took the magazine out of my hands, folding it closed and putting it on the coffee table behind him, trying to look me in the eyes. I reluctantly granted him this one wish as he continued to the point. "Alice, who are you going to trust with: a guy you met in a month or your family?" he asked, his hands taking mine.

I bit my lip, nodding and looking down as if I were really taking in his heartfelt question. "You mean: who do I trust more: Jasper or you?" I asked, looking up to see his expression. I wanted to grim smugly at the red handprint on the left side of his face that I had graciously left him only a few moments ago. I squeezed his hands before letting them drop and standing up off the couch, taking the stack of magazines, coffee, and cell phone. I walked toward the hall to my bedroom and turned around, looking at Edward, still sitting in anticipation for my reply.

I smiled sweetly and bowed my head. "Jasper," I answered. "I love him, Edward and no matter what you think, I will still love him. He has a daughter, yes, but he also has a house, a job, a dream, and he can support not only her, but me as well if need be. There are a lot more tragic things in the world to be worrying about." I turned to reach my bedroom door and stopped one more time, turning back to meet my brother's stubborn gaze.

"I'd ask you to not tell mom and dad, but I know it will give you some sick pleasure to beat the guy I love down before you've even met him, so go for it," I taunted him. My mind scrambled to pick up the pieces and take back what I had just said. No, I was supposed to be begging him to keep this private, not encouraging him to spill! I had already slammed my bedroom door and flopped on my bed in a sea of bridal magazines before I could truly process what I had just said.

So mom and dad disapprove and then I leave for Paris. I would come home with the ring still on my finger, but parents who aren't interested anymore unless I drop the guy with a past. How was this a bad thing? He _was_ unattached to Maria and Annabelle was a doll! Surely they would understand when they met Jasper… _if _they met Jasper.

* * *

**A/N: I know, this was a sort chapter, but I didn't want to stretch it out. It was a fight, obviously it had to be quick with yelling and then the calm shaking anger bubbling just below the surface before Alice realizes the consequence... or doesn't. I'm not sure. Do you think Edward will tell Esme and Carlisle or leave it to Alice to tell them when it's too late? Leave it in a review.**

**Next chapter will be leading into Alice's departure for Paris. I think I'll make it that Friday so she is leaving for her flight. I have a few more twists up my sleeve. What do you predict will happen or do you just want to wait and see? Thanks for reading! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the following: Alice, Jasper, Edward, Rosalie, Vera, Emmett, Charlotte, Peter, Esme, Carlisle, Bella, Maria or James. I also am not affiliated with Jen Kao. She is an awesome designer and fit well with the story. I do own Annabelle and the situation these characters are in. This was a long disclaimer cause I like to be annoying. Just wait for the A/N!**

"A little to the—no, up a little—yeah, right there," I groaned as the masseuse ground out the tension in my muscles. God, this was amazing. My mom paid for a day at the spa: massage, facemasks, manicure, pedicure, the whole bit. Tomorrow I had a meeting with whoever was taking me to Paris from the Jen Kao team. My mom didn't want me going without proper exfoliation and pampering. I loved her to death.

She got a private room for all of the pampering to be completed in. There was a separate area for facials, massages, pedicures, manicures, and even a hot tub in the far right. She rented out the largest room and being a regular customer, most rules didn't apply to us. Including the wine being passed around between each of our activities. My mom and I were never doing something at the same time, trying to switch it up, we separated into corners of the room as I was dying for a massage.

"I know it's too soon to say this, Alice," my mother began and I didn't care what she was saying. The masseuse was a goddess and I never wanted this massage to end. "But I definitely approve of your fiancé." Okay, now I cared.

"What?" I asked, turning my head to look in her direction. My mom had only one phone call with Jasper, how would she already approve of him? Not that I'm complaining. In fact, I'm ecstatic Edward hadn't spilled the beans. At least he had some sibling courtesy. I wasn't sure if he was telling my father right now, but I let that thought leave my head.

"He was sweet, kind, romantic, generous, and definitely good for you," she babbled. I sighed with relief, lying back with my face down. She approved; I was giddy with the news. My mother's opinion was the most important and for her to approve of him before she even met him was enough for me. Of course if my father chose not to welcome Jasper into the family, I would still care immensely, but my mother's opinion reigned supreme. Wait—_romantic? _

"How could you know he was romantic from one phone call, mom?" I asked, turning to look at her again. She immediately grew flustered and I bit my lip. What had he told her?

"Just the way he was speaking of you—so protective and so smitten," my mother paused to sniffle and I rose up on my elbows, motioning for the masseuse to stop her magic. "I'm just so happy for you, dear," she sniffled and I sat up on my elbows, looking over in her direction and waving for the masseuse to stop her magic.

"Mom…" I began, not wanting her to get emotional or I would quickly follow suit. Right on cue, I heard my phone buzz and I hopped off the table with the towel around me as I hurried to my phone. Now normally, phones are prohibited at spas, right? Well my mom was a regular here and was constantly giving them money. They wouldn't say no to her daughter. I was thankful for that. "Hello?" I asked, not even looking at who it was, but knowing it was him.

"God, I missed your voice," Jasper greeted me, his voice tired and worn out. He hadn't called me last night, but around eleven, he sent me a text message saying he'd explain later. "Sorry I didn't call," he immediately apologized. "Annabelle had a fever last night so I didn't know if I should take her to the doctor or the hospital—it was the first time she ever got sick, even when she was a baby she was always healthy and I called Charlotte, but she didn't answer, and then I tried Vera, and Rosalie and—"

"Is she all right now?" I asked, only focusing on Annabelle's well being.

"Yeah, I took her to the doctor and he said she's just fighting off some bug that's going around. She was up all night, but she's sleeping now," he said with a relieved sigh. I relaxed as well. I hated that I wasn't there with him and Annabelle… I could have helped somehow or—"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to call," he apologized again and I rolled my eyes.

"Stop apologizing," I argued, smiling a little. "I'm glad she's okay." I turned around and saw my mother watching me and immediately felt a bit sick to my stomach. She mouthed, 'is everything okay?' and I replied with a silent, 'his sister. Everything's fine.' I made a mental note to watch what I said to Jasper when I had an audience. That was twice now: once with Bella, now with mom.

"What're you up to?" he asked and I smirked. Oh what he would think of the day I had planned… Then again, he knew me well enough to not be surprised whatsoever.

"Spa day," I grinned.

"Of course," he chuckled and I joined his laughter.

"It was my mom's idea," I explained. "She didn't want me going to Paris without proper pampering." I giggled again and lowered my voice a bit as my mom was moved to a chair across the room to start her facial. "You were quite a hit with my mom. What'd you say to her?" I asked curiously, sitting on the lounge chair and putting my feet up as the woman filled up the tub so I could start my pedicure.

"I just thanked her and we talked a little about you," he paused as I blushed and I heard him laugh a little at my silence. "Don't be self-conscious. Naturally, it was all good things. She didn't tell you anything else, right?" he asked curiously, but that made me a bit nervous. What wouldn't she tell me?

"She told me you were romantic," I bit my lip to hold back another giggle. "How she got that, I have no idea, but no, there was nothing else."

"Good," he replied; I could hear the grin in his voice and immediately I was curious. I opened my mouth to question him, but he changed the subject. "So you have a meeting tomorrow and then Paris on Friday? Wow, a nine-hour difference—" his voice trailed off and I sighed. I didn't think of it that way. The further I went, the harder it would be to communicate. From three hours to nine hours apart, I was dreading Friday.

"Yeah, but you can call me in the afternoon and it'll be my end of the day, so we'll have to cut it down to a phone call a day. Or maybe I can call you in the morning when you go to bed or—" That wouldn't work… Well, maybe. Before I could process it all, he unscrambled my thoughts and spoke my mind.

"This is a lot harder than I expected," he huffed out a dry laugh as we sat in silence for a minute or two. This was a hell of a lot harder than I ever expected. How could I have moved back to New York and accepted this job? If Jasper had been a bit more selfish, I would have stayed in Portland and been with him right now. Of course he had to encourage me to take the opportunity after putting a ring on my finger. I sighed heavily just as I heard Annabelle's cry. "I'll call you back," he said and our normal conversation ended without those three words.

I didn't mind; obviously he would be upset about Annabelle and my heart ached knowing I didn't know her exact condition. I closed my phone and sat back, closing my eyes and squeezing the bridge of my nose between my thumb and first finger. This was too hard. I could back out now… I could back out of the Paris deal right now, call them up, and go straight to Portland tonight. It was so easy…

"Is his sister alright, dear?" my mother asked from the chair across the room from me and I opened my eyes, nodding and smiling as I looked toward the wine. In no time, I had another glass and downed it pretty quickly.

"She's just under the weather—fever, the whole bit," I replied. "She doesn't get sick often, he was worried." I smiled faintly at his ridiculous apology. Is it wrong for me to want to drop everything to go see him? I couldn't fly to Portland and back before my meeting tomorrow, but I could fly to Portland for good. Just stay and ignore any protests he may have because deep down he wanted me to come back, too.

"You're extremely quiet," my mother noted and sighed shakily, laughing a bit at how unreasonable all of this was. "What's really bothering you?"

"I miss him," I said with a shrug, sniffling a bit and biting the inside of my cheek to stop an emotional outburst. "It's hard being so far from him and it's not just him. I met so many great people there—Vera, the one I told you about who worked on the movie set, she's moving from upstate New York to Portland to be closer to everyone." I shuddered a bit and pointed to one of the bright red nail polishes before I continued. "You know after high school, I didn't really keep in touch with anyone. It was nice to have people to talk to; girlfriends to hang out with.

"And ever since James, I haven't had a guy. I mean, there's been the occasional one-time date with family friends you've forced upon me, but in a month I'm engaged. It's a lot to take in," I sighed and my mom was nodding, taking it all in, too, before blurting out her advice. I let the next bit slip off my tongue in a mumble, immediately regretting telling my mother what was _actually _bothering me. Isn't that the first thing kids learn: never tell the truth to your parents. "I'm wondering if Paris is even worth it anymore."

"Alice," my mother gasped. "Paris is everything you've dreamed of. You take this opportunity no matter what happens. Jasper will wait for you and if he doesn't—God forbid—he isn't right for you. He told you to leave and take this opportunity. Naturally he cares enough about you to see this is big for you. If you don't continue the job and plan to move to Portland or if something works out and he moves to New York, you'll still have this experience with you forever." I sighed, nodding my head. She was right. A lot could happen in three weeks. "Plus, I'll drag you on that plane. You're going."

We both laughed a bit at her threat; my mother was anything but threatening. She was right, of course, like all mothers were. I had to go to Paris. No matter what happened with Jasper, this was an amazing opportunity and I wouldn't give it up. I would go to Paris no matter how bad it hurt and Jasper would wait for me—hopefully. We'd make it work. We promised each other that much.

"Did you discuss plans with Jasper?" she continued to press. "I mean, after Paris you're moving there I'm guessing…" her tone was a bit sad, but guarded. She didn't want to effect my decisions with her opinion.

"I haven't, no," I replied self-consciously. Maybe we should have—now's not the time. "Ideally, I wanted to use my paycheck from this job to open up a boutique. I mean, Jasper's sister is a model and there are a few select people with a big city fashion sense. Maybe to make it more Oregon-friendly I'd use organic fabrics. I don't see him moving to New York, I don't think he can afford it," my mom opened her mouth to offer to pay, but I immediately continued, "Don't say you'll pay. I don't know if moving here would be such a good idea with his sister and our friends over there either. I mean, obviously I'd miss you like crazy, but I'd visit constantly, you know that."

My mom was silent for another few minutes, taking in this new information as well. She was nodding all the while, agreeing with the plans I had. I was a little relieved at that. "What about wedding plans?" I laughed aloud at that question. We were just engaged. I doubted either of us would be talking about that for a while.

"I think it'll be a long engagement," I said, my laughter dying away. "I like the fall, maybe a fall wedding next year or the year after—I don't know if he's into the whole wedding planning ordeal. I think it'll be all me and him nodding his head to make me happy." We both giggled and I pictured him doing just that. Sitting on the couch in his living room with magazines all about, a notepad in my lap, and a laptop open to reveal more to-do lists. I imagined him pulling me into his lap and calming me down with just a few words before he would distract me away from the stress of it all… God, I missed him.

My mother was silent again, but it was a different air around her. She fidgeted in her chair, leaning back to try and relax, but I knew whatever she was going to say next was eating her up inside. I immediately thought of the worst, was she going to let something out now? Did she know something I didn't know? Did he already have plans and that was his whole 'romance' title from earlier? Or worse—did he want to elope?

"Now just listen for a second because I don't want you answering me now and I know you and I know you're into elegance and timeless extravagant ostentatious church with bells ringing, doves flying, and the whole bit," she began and I held my breath. "But your father and I just finished the house in the Hamptons and since you're planning on moving to Oregon, I just wanted to—I would like you to consider getting married here before moving back." _Oh._ "I can help pay for plane tickets for your friends and his family if need be, I have no problem with that, I just—" she continued to babble.

"I'd love to, mom," I whispered. This was all she wanted: for me to be happy and to enjoy the time she had with me before I moved. I would definitely give in. I couldn't say no to her. She was my best friend through thick and thin, no matter what happened, my mom was always there for me and if I could do this to make her happy, I would.

Of course making her cry again was just wonderful and we spent the rest of our day in an emotional heap.

* * *

**A/N: Some new visuals were added to my author page including the house in the Hamptons and Alice's extensive wardrobe. Jen Kao's website is there, too. SUMMARY OF THIS CHAPTER: Esme is rich as hell. Renting a spa, renovating a house in the Hamptons, buying plane tickets for every boy and girl, etc. Just thought I'd let you know. Don't worry about Annabelle, she'll be fine. I wouldn't dare hurt her! That's there for a reason, you'll see. Who wants Alice to just go to Paris already and who wants to read her final interview? Should she just hop on a plane or are you interested in her life without Jasper? Leave it in a review. I can easily add an outtake if need be. Thank you for reading! Review? **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Anything that looks recognizable belongs to Stephenie Meyer. **

Everything was happening a little too fast. Ever since my visit to Portland, I should get used to the fast paced lifestyle I know possessed, but it was still a stretch. I wasn't the kind of person who loved to 'go-go-go' as the New York state of mind goes. I liked reveling in the wild flowers, stopping to smell the roses, and all that. Of course with my life now, I had no time to spend on myself.

Thursday came and went. My meeting went well. I met Lucy and Demetri, who would accompany me on my trip. Demetri was hilarious, the typical feminine male with an eye for fashion. When he met me, he twirled me around making me do a 360-fashion spin to show off my ensemble. We immediately connected and I was glad; I'd have someone to talk to.

Lucy, on the other hand, was cold, nasty and—for lack of a better word—bitchy. I was taking the place of her friend, Nettie, who was just in a terrible car accident and was stuck in a wheelchair doing deskwork for the next three weeks, leaving me with her plane ticket. She loathed me and I didn't mind. Demetri would keep me company.

Friday passed quickly. I had said goodbye to my family in unique ways. My dad hugged me tightly, setting my luggage on the sidewalk for me to wheel in. I kissed his cheek and told him to keep mom in line and he chuckled before handing me off to Bella. I hugged her and threatened her—if she ever eloped, I would make it a point to make her life a living hell. I giggled when I pulled away from her and Bella's eyes widened before she gave me a hesitant smile. Mom was next. She wouldn't let go and I told her I loved her and would miss her more than anyone else. That finally got her to pull away. Finally, there was Edward.

Surprisingly enough, Edward hadn't said anything about Annabelle to mom or dad. I underestimated him. Still, I hadn't talked to him since our fight and my sibling ties were wearing thin with heartache. I missed the little guy. I smirked and hugged him tightly. Whispering apologies and words of appreciation, I didn't want to let go and leave our relationship in tatters. I had mentioned that my parents' opinion meant the most to me, but I didn't realize how much Edward meant until we fought.

He was right to be cautious. His little sister was running off across the country to be with a guy, who had been married before and had a reminder of that marriage living in his house. Obviously it was a little odd, especially since I only knew Jasper for a month before I agreed to marry him. But when Edward would meet Jasper, I knew he would approve.

He didn't pull back and I struggled a little before I heard him sniffle. I grinned broadly, giggling. "I made you cry!" I exclaimed and he groaned, pulling back and wiping his eye. "Aw, Eddie, I'll miss you, too," I pouted, pinching his cheek. My mom immediately followed suit, hugging my father and sobbing all the while. Edward slid an arm around Bella's waist and hugged her against his side.

After making my brother cry, Friday was pretty eventful. I enjoyed a seven and a half hour flight to Paris, landing to meet Demetri, who flew in the night before. He helped me with my luggage and soon enough we were in his rental car—a _beautiful _electric yellow Porsche 911 Turbo. I told you I'd like Demetri.

By the time we got to the hotel it was 8:30. I had already sent a few messages to Jasper, telling him I landed and I was all right, asking about Annabelle, telling him not to worry, etc. This left me distracted; Demetri noticed, but didn't ask. Instead, we exited the car, the valet took it to the parking garage, and the most exquisite French dripped from Demetri's lips as he asked the bellhop to take my belongings from the trunk and follow us to my room. Distracted by my conversation with Jasper, I didn't pay much attention to what the hotel looked like. I shut my phone just as we entered the lobby and was taken aback. The lobby was a golden wonder with marble floors and marble on every surface, a brilliant crystal chandelier hung from the center ceiling.

Before I could appreciate the beautiful architecture, Demetri looped his arm around mine and let me to the elevator. We were granted the whole top floor, each with a presidential suite. We went silently up the elevator with the bellhop towing my luggage on a cart. There were three doors on the top floor. I was at the end of the hall straight ahead and Demetri took the key from the small envelope they had handed him at the front desk before sliding it in the lock before he paused.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to choose which room you would have," he warned me. "Lucy came in early this morning with me and she chose which one she wanted and wanted me next door to her, so this was the only room left. I think it'll suit you nicely." I was barely paying attention, too excited about the room to care where I was. I did have a feeling that Lucy and I wouldn't have much of a friendship, however.

Nonetheless, Demetri opened the door revealing a small hallway with a coat closet before it opened to a flawless living room. The color scheme was a pale yellow with periwinkle accents. Two tan-tinted, blue-floral couches adorned the room surrounding a glass coffee table with the elite fashion magazines awaiting my browse. Atop the magazines was a vase of beautiful white roses. Behind one couch was a desk with another bouquet set in a modern-shaped glass vase and simple white lamp with a gold stand. The walls were covered in the same creamy periwinkle hue, one door leading to the bedroom in the suite. The door had a sky blue trim contrasting the pearly white base.

I was too excited to move, but somehow found my feet bouncing to the door. I didn't know where Demetri or the bellhop was, but I didn't care. This was beautiful! It was more than that! It was brilliant, perfect, exquisite, flawless, wonderful, lovely—My eyes widened as I opened the door and saw the large bedroom.

The color scheme followed, but flipped, leaving pale yellow walls and blue accents. The chandelier hung from the ceiling, a miniature daughter to the larger one in the lobby. To the left was a king-sized bed with a yellow and white striped comforter, blue and pink flowers scattered among the fabric's threads. Two blue pillows with a golden trim lay behind a pair that matched the comforter. There was a white nightstand beside it topped with a white lamp and a vase of blue flowers. Ahead was the view, a window that opened up to the beautiful lights of Paris. Beside the window were a small vanity and two chairs with a small table between them topped with another lamp and vase of blue flowers in the narrow hallway to the bathroom door.

I dropped my carry on bag on the plush white rug, lying back on the bed in a heap. I heard the front door to the suite shut and heard Demetri's expensive leather shoes find their way into the room. His accented laughter made me open my eyes and I met his grin. "Nice to know you like it," he chuckled; his thick Italian accent somehow changed his laughter.

"I do, thank you," I beamed, feeling my pants pocket vibrate nosily. I squirmed and grabbed it as Demetri sat in the vanity chair, watching me. It was Jasper again, answering my last question about Annabelle. The conversation had progressed and he managed to tell me that she was doing fine and Rosalie came over to help out a bit, but she had heard him sneeze once and convinced him to let her take Annabelle. He was alone and missed me "terribly." I pursed my lips, biting the inside of my cheek, wondering how I should respond.

"Boyfriend?" Demetri asked, knocking me back to the present.

"Uh—yeah," I replied, glancing back down at the phone. "Fiancé," I corrected, furrowing my brow and laughing at that. Demetri raised an eyebrow to question my sanity and I sighed. "It sounds so weird to call him that. I mean, it feels right, but to say it out loud is a little—" I shrugged and smiled, looking back to the phone and biting my lip.

"A young thing like you; are you recently engaged?" Demetri inquired, crossing his legs and slouching back in the chair he had turned to face me.

"Yeah," I replied, quickly typing, _I'll call you as soon as I get settled. Miss you, too. _I hit the send button and curled my legs under me, leaning back against the pillows. "A week ago," I said as I reminisced a bit. His hand pulling me back into an embrace, his lips on mine, the heat building up between us, the ring in his hand as we pulled apart, and those three words that had my knees buckling.

"How long have you known him?" Demetri asked, standing up and sitting on the ottoman at the end of the bed. I smiled and shook my head, watching as he gasped and pouted. "You won't tell me? What is it ten years? I was seeing this guy for six years before he dumped me. No questions asked. I should've known, everyone was telling me to dump his ass, but maybe you're a miracle story." I sighed and patted the bed for him to join me. He kicked off his shoes and leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head.

I took a deep breath and hoped this wouldn't affect the friendship I had with him before speaking. "A month," I said shakily and his eyes widened, his stare on me. I pouted at his reaction and shrugged. "Instant connection, I guess… I don't know; he's perfect." I laughed at the words that fell from my mouth. He joined my laughter, lying on his side with his arm propping up his head.

"But he's a serial killer on the side, right?" he teased. "Come on, a month? How do you know he's not a psycho?" he continued and I shrugged again, not really having coherent answers.

"He has a daughter," I said, which was a lot easier to say to someone I had only known for a week. I wished I had the same confidence when I was talking to my parents. Maybe it would have been easier to tell them. Silence filled the room for a minute and I held my breath, letting it out when I heard Demetri hum.

"Maybe he's a kidnapper," he suggested. "Rapist, pedophile?" he continued and I laughed, shaking my head and he smiled, too. "Well he's a lucky guy. With your fashion sense and obvious beauty, I'm shocked you weren't still swimming through the dating pool."

I blushed a bit at his compliment before asking, "Are you flirting with me?" He chuckled lowly and shook his head.

"I have a boyfriend at home," he grinned. "Nice try, though." I jumped slightly as I felt my phone vibrate in my lap once again and I sighed, flipping it over in my hands. Demetri looked over and rolled his eyes. "Call him. I'm going to order us dinner," he said before jumping off the bed and leaving the bedroom, going to the phone in the living area, shutting the door behind him.

I immediately dialed his number and smiled when he answered after only two rings. "Hi," I greeted him, bubbly as always. Plus the surroundings made me a bit more perky than usual. He didn't answer for a second and I wondered if he was there, but I heard him let out a shaky breath and I was suddenly worried. "Jazz, are you okay?" I asked, a bit frantic.

"I'm fine," he replied in a whisper, a sad smile in his voice. "It's just nice to hear your voice, I've missed you," he continued, but it sounded like he had been crying. I'd seen a movie with him one time in Portland and had caught him crying at the end of it. He denied it, but I saw the tear. He was sensitive; it was cute. "How's Paris?" he changed the subject and I grinned.

"Oh my god, I wish you could see the room I have," I grinned, standing up from the bed to pace around the room. "It's huge! The view is amazing and there's a huge chandelier and—I'll take pictures and show you. Demetri's getting dinner and I'm a little afraid of snails or something in one of the dishes, but other than that, I haven't really seen much."

"Well you don't start until Monday, maybe you can go sight-seeing," he suggested and I agreed, enjoying a bit of silence as I heard Demetri speak into the phone in the next room in fluid French. I stopped my pacing as I leaned against the wall. I closed my eyes, sliding down to sit on the carpeted floor and leaned my head back to rest against the wall. "Are _you_ all right?" he asked sincerely and I smiled.

"Just tired," I murmured, biting my lower lip. I hugged my knees to my chest and moved my head off the wall. "Annabelle's feeling better?" I asked, changing the subject.

"From what I saw, yes. Rosalie's keeping me away from her so she doesn't get sick and I'm grateful for that, I just hope she'll give her back soon," he said with a sigh. "It's really quiet in the house. I'm not used to it."

"I'm sorry," I whispered without thinking and he chuckled lowly.

"Alice, why are you apologizing?" he asked with another chuckle and I paused. I was sorry for a lot of things. I was sorry for not telling my parents about Annabelle. I was sorry Annabelle got sick. I was sorry I wasn't there when Annabelle got sick. I was sorry I was missing him so much. I was sorry for falling in love with him and his daughter. I was sorry he didn't make it to New York before I left. But most importantly—

"I'm sorry for leaving you," I whispered. "I'm sorry for going to New York and now Paris and—" He cut me off before I could continue my apologies.

"Oh, honey, don't say that," he urged me quietly. "Don't let me stop you from enjoying Paris, darling." I closed my eyes at the endearments. _Honey, darling, _and the occasional _baby_ were one meant to make me weak at the knees, but now left my heart constricting and threatening to burst from my chest.

"You're not exactly helping with the honey-baby-darling's," I teased and he chuckled. I heard a knock at the door and I heard Demetri answer it, thanking the man with what sounded like a native accent, although he just stepped out of Italy. I sighed, knowing I had to say goodbye, but not wanting to. "I gotta go," I grumbled.

"Well, _baby_," he said; using the one nickname he missed. "I love you." Those three words seemed so simple, nonchalant, and matter-of-fact, the words he had once been unable to say for fear of keeping me from the life I had without him, were now falling effortlessly from his lips.

"Love you, too," I whispered before I reluctantly hung up. That night I bought a plane ticket from New York to Portland for the Sunday that followed my Friday evening flight.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, so next chapter will be speedy. I was going to zoom through a week here, but that will be the next chapter. A new visual has been added to my author page: ALICE'S SUITE. Go check it out if you want a better depiction. Of course you know what the Porsche looks like. :) If you want another visual ask. Also, I know one person was interested in seeing the playlist I listen to while writing this. Is there anyone else? I'll post it if I get a few more requests or I might just post it.**

**ALSO! I posted a new story, the darker side of Twilight: what would Twilight be like if the Cullens were "carnivores"? How does everyone else fit in? Next chapter I have planned for that will be in Alice's point of view, so if you want to follow both stories I'd appreciate it. If not, keep following this one or at least check out the other one and drop a review on what you think of the idea. Thanks! :) **

**And thank you for reading and for loving Jasper and Alice as much as I do. :) Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All characters, but Annabelle belong to Stephenie Meyer. Plot belongs to me. **

My first week in Paris was—all right. I took Jasper's advice and let Demetri take me sightseeing on the weekend so homesickness wouldn't be an issue. Demetri hadn't left me alone all week either. Once or twice he'd be reluctant to leave my room and let me change. Once or twice he'd go to his room to do the same, but he was always coming back. I had a feeling he wanted to distract him as well. He and I shared a quite a bit in common.

We were glued to our phones. Every time we went out, we would laugh and have a good time, but never hesitate to check our cell phones. With Jasper in Portland, he called less than Demetri's beau. Plus, with Annabelle—who was returned within a day from her aunt's house—I didn't expect him to call that much. I wouldn't expect a message to be replied in less than an hour. Demetri, on the other hand, was constantly bombarded by phone calls from his lovesick partner and I would dismiss his rudeness, letting him take everyone. I knew how he felt.

Lucy still hadn't spoken to me. She would look me up and down, glare in my direction, or some days—if I was lucky—she would ignore me completely. I was blessed on those days. Her blonde-bombshell and I've-lived-in-Europe-for-the-past-decade was intimidating. I hated being around her, but lucky for me, because I was the new girl, I was in fashion venues to sit in the back and take notes. I didn't speak for the company and I didn't want to. Still, I itched to say something when one designer we were set to partner with had a collection of plaid and polka dots. I shudder even now at the thought.

The first week passed by swimmingly. Saturday was the longest day of the week and lucky for me, Jasper called twice that day. The first conversation had been in the morning for five minutes as I woke up at eight to wish him a good night as he normally went to bed around eleven, knowing Annabelle woke up around five or six the next morning. Our conversation fell short when he checked on Annabelle and she was still awake. The next phone call had been at six in the evening and it was painful to say the least.

We sat in silence for a while, listening to each other breathe. I closed my eyes, imagining him in the kitchen as Annabelle watched her favorite cartoon always on weekdays at nine a.m. I saw him lean against the counter, watching her through the doorway, letting the phone lean on his shoulder, his arms crossed over his chest. He asked me how Paris was and I couldn't seem to grasp coherent words to explain it without my heart twisting into a knot. My eyes opened to the ring on my left finger as my hand trembled.

He talked about the weather as the silence continued, teasing me by asking if I really wanted to move to a place with so much rain. I closed my eyes and they burned behind my lids; I squeezed them shut, focusing on him talking, silently begging him to keep talking. I asked about Annabelle and she was well, everyone was well. He asked about me, how I was feeling, how I was holding up, and after a few one-word answers, he asked about Bella and Edward's wedding, knowing that subject usually perked me up.

"I bought a ticket to Portland," my eyes opened as I spoke my first sentence in the conversation and felt my throat swell at the exertion.

"Oh?" was his reply. He sighed and I knew he thought it was me giving up this job. "Alice, honey, stick it out. It's two more weeks in Paris—"

"For the Sunday after I get back to New York," I explained. "This way I can pack and sort it all out. I mean, Edward knows I'm leaving—I should probably tell him, too." From my lack of talking to my babbling, we both knew I was a wreck, but neither of us mentioned it. I was glad.

"Sunday?" Jasper repeated and I nodded stupidly before muttering in agreement. He let out another breath. "You don't need more than a day to pack? Well—I guess you could just have Edward send you your things eventually. Don't you want to see your parents before you—" He was babbling, too. Maybe we were both going crazy.

"Knowing my mother, she'll be at the airport when I come in on Friday," I said with a ghost of a smile.

"That next week is Christmas," he reminded me and I grew worried suddenly. Did he not want me there on Christmas? Did he have something planned with Rosalie? Well of course Rosalie and I would have to patch things up before we got married and I wouldn't hesitate to call her once we hung up or see her once I got there. "I just thought you'd want to spend Christmas with your family," he elaborated and relief washed over me. At my silence, he frantically backtracked, "I mean, you're welcome to come—I just didn't—"

"Jazz, in case you didn't notice, you kind of invited me to Christmas when you put the ring on my finger," I tried to lighten the mood and I heard him chuckle. "Besides, I already have something planned for Annabelle," I mused and his laughter stopped abruptly, making me giggle.

"You spoil her," he protested, but I heard the grin in his voice.

"Don't complain," I retorted with a smile. "She's adorable, how can I not?" He laughed again and I closed my eyes, relishing the smooth bass he emitted. As his laughter died, we enjoyed each other's silence and cellular company.

"Speak of the devil," he mumbled, his voice hoarse and I knew he was ending the conversation—too soon. "I should go get the munchkin off the couch and off to ballet lessons," he said and I heard Annabelle protest in the background, wanting to finish her program before leaving.

"All right," I said with a reluctant sigh.

"Love you," he replied with ease and I returned the endearment before we hung up. I stared at my phone, going through my contact list absently. I passed Edward and Bella's numbers, passing my parents', and stopping on Rosalie's. Should I call to patch things up or wait? It seemed that I was waiting for quite a bit: from telling my parents about Annabelle to restarting my friendship with Rosalie—I chickened out and fell asleep early that night.

A pounding knock at the door woke me up Sunday morning and I groaned, but the knocking didn't stop. "Alice, get your cute little ass out of bed," Demetri called. I rolled out of my bed, hitting the floor with a light thud before I trudged to the front door of my hotel, opening it up so he storm inside. He was all dressed and ready to go. I grumbled some kind of good morning as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and shut my door.

"I'm taking you shopping today," he said simply. "So get your butt in that shower and I'll get you some coffee for a pick-me-up, but then we're out the door." He took me by the shoulders, guiding me back to my room before pushing me in the bathroom, throwing a towel in my face, and shutting the door. Wow, that was some wake-up call.

In a half-hour I was ready and Demetri and I had gone to the lobby, got the car from the valet, drove through the brilliant Paris streets, and parked the car to walk among the expensive shops. For once, neither of us glanced at our phones as he took me to designer shops and I bought small accessories. Demetri took note of this and as we left the Gucci store, he looped his arm around mine.

"I know you've been window shopping," he began and I braced myself for whatever he had next. "But I wanted to take you to two more shops and you need to _buy _something in at one of them, okay?" I nodded warily as he took me down the street and across to a large shop with tall, thin mannequins dressed in lacy lingerie that hugged their curves and flared away from their nonexistent imperfections.

I stood outside the shop, shaking my head as I felt my cheeks flush. Demetri went ahead of me and opened the door, holding it open for me. I shook my head more vigorously and he rolled his eyes.

"I think a little French couture would be a nice Christmas gift for you fiancé," he tempted me in singsong and I bit my lip. "Don't be embarrassed, you're gorgeous and he'll love it. At least try it out for the wedding night, you can't get this in New York," he said with a smirk. Slowly—_slowly_ but surely I reluctantly followed him into the shop with a permanent blush reddening my cheeks.

I bought a chiffon and lace slip that came to my upper thigh. Demetri slipped some garters in the mix and I felt ridiculous as I went to purchase my unmentionables. After that humiliation was over, we left the shop and I was hesitant to take Demetri's lead as he led me to his second destination.

"No, I think I'm done for the day." Who was I and what had I done with Alice?

"Done for the day?" he laughed, taking my hand. "Alice, I promise it's nothing embarrassing," he vowed with his right hand up. I looked at him for a minute, truly debating my chances at convincing him to go back to the hotel and I knew they were slim. I followed him grudgingly, but I should have trusted him a bit more.

We came to a small boutique, not just any boutique: a wedding boutique with all the latest dresses from French designers. A petite woman approached us, but I was too awed in the white lace heaven to greet her. I understood a bit of the French exchanged between the two, but I was too overwhelmed to speak. Demetri linked arms with me, leading me into the back behind the young employee.

She ushered me into the back room to change into Demetri's first pick: a strapless floor-length gown with a red lace around the waist. I stepped out to see the dress in the full-length mirror and to show Demetri. It swallowed me whole. The next dress was a similar fit to the first. The one after that was the same. I was a little discouraged, but the final dress Demetri held up was short vintage dress. Blindly, I took it and tried it on to appease him, but as I stepped on the pedestal and looked in the mirror, we both gasped.

French lace, gorgeous detailing, and handmade floral appliqués, it came just to my ankles with a petal trim on the bottom. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and looked utterly ridiculous on the hanger, but in the mirror on me now—

Before I knew what was happening, Demetri handed me a tissue. I blinked, taking it gratefully and dabbing the tears from my cheeks as I turned every which way. It was bubby, it was unique, and it was me. "Wow," was all I could manage to say. I was getting married—not in a day, not in a week, not in a month, nothing set in stone—but I had a ring on my finger and a wedding to come before I spent the rest of my life as Mrs. Jasper Hale. It finally sunk in.

I was reluctant to take the dress off, but I eventually left the boutique empty-handed much to Demetri's disappointment. I told him I would go back before I left—maybe. I didn't want to buy anything too soon. Who knows, from what the girl told me, that dress is rarely tried on. She said it would be there waiting for me if I changed my mind and I thanked her before we went out to dinner and headed back to the hotel.

"You've never seen _Gone with the Wind_?" I asked Demetri as we entered the lobby and walked toward the elevator with my few shopping bags in tow. He shook his head and I pouted. "Well we'll watch it tonight. I saw it on the list of movies to order. It's a classic! That's like saying you've never seen Casablanca!" He looked over at me guiltily and I gasped, shutting the elevator doors behind us. Before I could protest, his phone rang.

Immediately, I realized Jasper hadn't contacted me at all today. I dug into my purse to find my phone and there was no message, no missed call, no voicemail. Nothing. I parted ways thanking him on his way into his hotel room. I walked down the hall, dialing Jasper's number, but immediately sent to voicemail.

"I haven't heard from you all day—hope everything is all right," I left him a quick message before hanging up and going into my room to lie on my bed in my sea of miniature shopping bags. I bought perfume, a new purse, a wallet, and a vintage emerald broach. My relaxation was short-lived when I heard a knock at the door. I grumbled a string of unladylike profanities as I scrambled to answer it. "Demetri, you didn't have to—" but it wasn't Demetri.

Lucy stood in the doorway, flawless—if you excuse her attitude—in a khaki pencil skirt and turquoise blouse. I must've stared for quite a while because she rolled her eyes. "Can I come in?" she asked impatiently.

"Uh—yeah, sure," I replied, too confused to think of an excuse. I opened the door a bit more so she could enter and she immediately went into the living area, sitting on the armchair and crossing her legs and waiting for me to sit. Hesitantly, I complied.

"I have to apologize for the way I've been acting," she began, looking at her lap rather than at me, but I listened regardless. "Nettie is my very good fried and we've been talking about this trip for months. Her accident was so unexpected—I've been taking out my frustration on you and I shouldn't have. Do you accept my apology?" she asked, glancing up at me from just beneath her lashes.

I was flabbergasted, to say the least. She was apologizing to me? After a week of making me feel like a worthless piece of—"Of course I forgive you," my logic told me not to pick a fight I couldn't in and I spoke before I could argue. She smiled sincerely—or so it seemed. We sat in an awkward silence for a few moments before she spoke again.

"Demetri tells me you're getting married," she said with a small smile, hoping to start a friendly conversation it seemed. I didn't put it past Demetri to tell Lucy, even if she didn't particularly enjoy my company; Demetri was a loudmouth.

"I'm engaged," I corrected with a smile as well. "I haven't really talked about the wedding to Jasper yet. He proposed right before I went back to New York two weeks ago."

"He also said he lives far. In Washington?" she asked and I enjoyed the easy conversation.

"Portland, Oregon," I corrected and she nodded in agreement as if she just remembered that bit of information. She looked back in her lap, lacing her fingers together and biting her lip before speaking again.

"I used to live in Portland," she mused. "I loved the city, but I was more of a Manhattan girl," she continued with a small laugh. I joined in her laughter and agreed, but something changed in her tone and our laughter died. "Alice, I have a confession to make," she said, finally meeting my gaze. I braced myself for the worst, not really expecting anything less.

"I know your fiancé. As soon as Demetri told me his name, I knew you were in trouble and I came to tell you the truth before someone else does or before you make the wrong decision," she began and I nodded for her to continue, immediately skeptical. She was the last person I would believe with anything to do with Jasper. The woman hated me up until—oh, I don't know—five seconds ago.

"I lived in Galveston, Texas when I was in high school. I was a friend of Jasper's, but when his parents died, he and his sister moved to Portland. I lost touch with him, but when I found Rosalie in California, she invited me to stay with her and Jasper back in Portland. He was dating a few girls, but hadn't found the right one until he found Maria.

"He met her in the park and the two were inseparable. They eloped as soon as they had gotten pregnant and Maria—well, he probably told you horrible things about her," she trailed off and I shook my head.

"He told me very little; just that she had walked out three months after their daughter had been born," I said, my tone a bit tense as I couldn't imagine someone leaving that beautiful baby girl. Lucy sighed and shook her head.

"Oh, dear, well this isn't the short version I had hoped for…" she trailed off before delving into the final bits of the story. She told me of Jasper in high school, as he was quite the charmer, and quickly made his way through the dating pool having no girl left by the end of high school. She said from her small visit, he hadn't seemed to change until Maria was with child. Even then, he was out, coming home in the early hours of the morning or not coming home at all. Lucy befriended Maria as the situation got worse and she needed help getting to and from doctor's appointments.

"She walked in on him with another woman the day before her daughter was born," Lucy continued. "Their relationship was strained in the next few months and I believe it was a mix of postpartum depression and their deteriorating marriage that sent her packing. I'm not justifying her leaving her daughter behind. I can't even fathom doing that to my own future child," she said, looking at her watch before she stood up and I did the same. "I just didn't want you to go through with this without hearing another side of the story. I've been in a few relationships that I've still never gotten the full story."

I took a minute to process it all. Suddenly the fact that Lucy hated me a little under an hour ago didn't matter. I hadn't told Demetri of Maria or any other bit of Jasper except for his daughter and where he lived. Lucy _had _to know him, but she was also a friend with Maria and her depiction of Rosalie was realistic as well; she hadn't approved of Maria, choosing to be the protective sister and never a sister-in-law. Still, without Jasper around, it was hard to believe his side of the story. He hadn't been thorough in explaining Maria and I guessed it had been from only a month of being with him, but now I was paranoid.

He had turned his phone off for the first time in our relationship. Was he with another woman? I shuddered at the thought and led Lucy to the door, saying goodnight and locking it behind her as I padded across the carpeted floor into my bedroom. I flopped down on my bed, checking my phone for any word from him. _Nothing._ I called his number again and there was his immediate voicemail once again.

I hugged a pillow to my chest and stared at my phone for the next few hours before exhaustion finally forced me to sleep. I hoped to hear from him on Monday, but he his phone was still sending me to voicemail. I tried throughout the day—one of the few days I had off unfortunately leaving me to call him every hour. I felt a bit pathetic, but Lucy's longwinded story had me paranoid. I thought of calling Rosalie, but that ship had sailed.

Sunday: no word from Jasper.

Monday: still no word.

I went from wondering if he was all right to wondering if he was with another woman. What was happening?

* * *

**A/N: What do _you _think is happening? Is this all too fast? What else is Jasper hiding? Why the hell is his phone off? **

**NEWS: The playlist for this story is up on my author page. Alice's dream dress is also there. It's quirky and I like it, I hope you do, too. Feel free to review to comment on the playlist and dress as well as answering the questions above. **

**Also, I made Demetri homosexual because I didn't want everyone to say, "OMG he's flirting with her! Alice and Demetri are going to get together? WTF." Hopefully none of you are homophobic and stopped reading there. ****Thank you for putting up with the twists and turns. Thank you for reading! What are your predictions for the chapters to come? I love reading them; some of you are always so close! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to their rightful owners (AKA Stephenie Meyer). **

Monday passed with no word from Jasper. I left him another three messages, knowing that was a bit much, but from worrying about Annabelle and now his apparent past—I didn't have to worry. If Jasper didn't love me, he wouldn't have proposed, right? Right, of course.

Monday I had off, so Tuesday was the first day back since Friday. I knew there was a benefit on Thursday and that today was a big day. I wasn't needed tomorrow. Tomorrow was for Lucy and Demetri to make sure the collection was complete, all pieces came in on the last plane all right and all accessories were accounted for. I had Wednesday to study.

"All of this?" I asked, my mouth hanging open in surprise as I took in the large black binder that Lucy put on my desk. I looked up to see Demetri in the doorway. We had just come home from work and they were back out to head to dinner with an acquaintance. I decided to sit this one out and Lucy took the opportunity to give me my homework for the night and my free time tomorrow.

"Of course not," she said with a laugh before she revealed another binder of the same dimensions that she put beside it. "This one, too. It's memorizing names and collections, past work and old business partners for the benefit on Thursday evening." She began to walk toward the doorway, but stopped and turned around. "Oh and I have to see your outfit so we don't clash. No green and definitely not red," she warned me before storming out of the hotel room as I took in the workload I'd have for the next twenty-four hours or more.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Demetri asked from the doorway and I looked up at him, giving him a weak smile.

"I should get started on this. You go ahead without me," I said with a nod, encouraging him out the door. He left reluctantly and I stood from my desk chair, going into the small kitchen area to put on the coffee pot. I would have to pull an all-nighter to get through this work. Of course there would be distractions. Jasper, for one, and—

My phone rang, echoing in the marble tiled kitchen. I quickly went over to take it, looking at the caller ID and sighing when I saw Edward's name. "What's up?" I answered, going into my bedroom to grab some sweatpants while the coffee brewed. My tone was a bit quick, but hopefully he'd ignore it.

"Aren't you happy to hear from me?" he replied in a mock-hurt tone. I rolled my eyes; of course he wouldn't ignore it. "What's wrong, Alice?" I shouldn't tell him. He hadn't met Jasper yet and as soon as he heard he had a daughter, he immediately hated him, so to tell him he may or may not be cheating on me—

"Homesick," I replied evenly, taking out a pair of pink sweatpants and a tank top. "I have a lot of work to do, but it's nothing I can't handle," confidence would keep me out of this emotional hellhole, right? "How are you and Bella?" I asked, changing the subject and he didn't press it further, thank goodness.

"Bella is going to visit Renee in Jacksonville. I thought I'd let her see her mother alone, but she and Charlie and Phil are coming up for Christmas. Mom is having Christmas in the Hamptons to celebrate the new house. She wanted me to remind you," he babbled and I flopped back on my bed, letting my hand rest against my forehead.

"Right," I trailed off, now unsure of where I was spending Christmas. With Jasper ignoring my calls, where would I stay?

"You _are _coming for Christmas, right?" he asked, not letting me answer. "Mom already said she would arrange Jasper's flight, but I wasn't sure he'd be able to with his daughter and—"

"Annabelle," I cut him off quickly. "Her name is Annabelle and Edward, I don't know. I want to spend Christmas with all of you, but I also have Jasper in—"

"You don't want to spend Christmas with us before you move. Great, Alice, I just thought maybe you'd want to help mom through this. Her only daughter is moving across the country and you know she's distraught," he argued, but I had a feeling something else was bothering him. When we talked about Jasper or me moving in general, he always became tense. I hated fighting with him, especially when we were far apart.

"I'll see what I can do, all right? Right now, I'm focusing on work," I said, my voice releasing a bit of tension as each word passed through my lips. "I'll call you back. I have a lot of work to do."

"Alice, I'm sorry, I—"

"Tell Bella I said hi," I cut him off before hanging up the phone and storming into the bathroom. I slipped on the comfortable clothes and padded back into the small kitchen area to collect a mug and some freshly brewed coffee. I curled up on the couch with the beverage and one of the two binders, putting the work on the coffee table and closing my eyes as I hugged my knees to my chest.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to picture the two Christmases. One was in New York, lounging in my mother's living room, staring out the window at the snow covered lawn as cousins of ours played in the snow, throwing snowballs to and fro, my mother panicking that they may hit the window. The second was in Portland, sitting on the couch as Annabelle opened presents, tearing them apart to find what was inside. I was tucked under Jasper's arm as he handed me a coffee cup and whispered those three familiar words in my ear before he kissed my cheek. Later, Rosalie and Emmett would come by with Vera and maybe her son Henry and her husband, before Peter and Charlotte came, too. We would all pass around Annabelle to spoil and hug and tickle and hold—

I opened my eyes, putting the coffee cup down on the table and taking the binder in my lap, folding my legs down. I wasn't thinking about it anymore. I opened the first page of the binder, staring at a collage with a picture of a young woman right above it, who didn't look over sixteen. The first designer to memorize was Jane Volturi, co-owner of her father Aro's company.

This went on for five hours, through ten cups of coffee, and fifteen power naps. I was lying on my stomach facedown on the couch as I flipped through the end of the first binder. It was only two o'clock when my phone rang. I grumbled before grabbing it and flipping it open without a glance at who it was. "Hello?" I answered, groggily.

As soon as I answered, I was bombarded with a dial tone. I rolled my eyes and tossed my phone to the other end of the couch and leaned back, closing my eyes for another power nap. The thunder knocked me out of my stupor and I jumped, nearly falling off the couch. I always loved the rain and maybe that was why I enjoyed Portland. Great, more Jasper thoughts.

I squirmed, grabbing my phone from between the cushions of the couch and dialed his number. I wasn't sent to voicemail right away, which was nice. I listened to the phone ring and ring, giving me false hope that he would answer. Of course when he didn't and I heard his bittersweet thick honey bass on the other end advising the anonymous caller to leave a message, I hung up, tossing my phone blindly across the carpeted floor.

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my first finger and my thumb, biting the inside of my cheek to stop the tears, but one did manage to slip through. I wiped it away, wincing as the ring on my left hand scratched my cheek. My eyes studied the ring closely, watching as it glistened in the dimly lit hotel room. The light pitter-patter of the rain on the roof was comforting in the bit of solitary silence I collected.

Of course that comfort ended as another rumble of thunder and clash of lightning erupted in the sky, leaving the lights flickering on and off. I immediately got up to look for a candle, anticipating the worse. I found one in the desk drawer and knew I had matches in my bedside table. I put the candle in the candleholder on the coffee table and right on cue, the lights flickered off. I counted to ten and got up to flick the switch up and down, but no luck. I lit the candle and continued my work, hoping the hotel generator would turn on eventually, but I was interrupted yet again.

The thunder masked the knock that came from the door and I knew Demetri was probably worried about me. I wondered when he got back; he hadn't come to check on me, which was unlike him since Jasper decided to ignore me. Regardless, I got up and went to the door as the frantic knocking was heard again and I rolled my eyes.

"Demetri, hold on!" I said with a laugh, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I unlocked the three locks on the door and turned the knob, swinging the door open to—not see Demetri.

Jasper stood in the doorway, his hair misshapen and a bit wet from the rain outside, but still its curly crazy self. I blinked, wondering if all that coffee made me hallucinate. He wore a blue sweater, dark wash jeans, those worn cowboy boots, and that infamous viral crooked smile. A duffle bag was next to him on the ground, also a bit wet from the rain. Over his shoulder I saw Demetri in the doorway, having just spoken to him, I assumed, to point him in the right direction. He smiled and I blinked again, looking back at the man in front of me, shifting on the balls of his feet as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Are you going to say hello or—" he asked nervously, but I interrupted him. I jumped up and hugged him, clinging to him as he lifted my feet off the ground. I buried my face into his neck; no longer aware of the bullshit Lucy told me the night before. His smell was the same—a crisp antiqued scent with a touch of spearmint. His arms tightened around me and I didn't want to let go. I felt the tears pouring from my eyes, but I ignored them, tightening my grip around his neck as I held onto him as if he held my life.

Slowly, he pulled me back enough to press his lips against my ear and I could feel the smile spread across his face as he pulled back. His warm breath met my neck as he slowly maneuvered us through the door and I heard the thud of his duffle bag hit the floor along with the muffled slam of the door behind us, but I wouldn't let go. Part of me still believed this was a dream. Ten cups of coffee had me out like a light and Jasper was all I saw, but as he pried me off of him and set me down on the floor, cupping my cheeks to wipe the tears away with his thumbs, I knew he was there.

My hand covered his on my cheek and I choked on a fresh sob, biting my lip and smiling at my emotional state. I took his hand from my face, holding it in both of mine and looking up at him as I tried to wipe away the tears. "What are you doing here?" I asked, squeezing his hand.

"I was just in the neighborhood," he trailed off before I swatted his arm. He smirked and wrapped his arms around my waist, relaxing me immediately. "To see you, of course," he said as he kissed the top of my head. He stayed there for a minute, breathing in and smiling wide. "I missed you," he confessed in a whisper before he straightened up. "I'll explain everything, but how about we sit?" I hadn't realized we had been standing and hadn't exactly thought of how exhausted he must be. Did he fly here all the way from Oregon?

I nodded, ushering him over to the couch in the dim candlelight and moving the binders aside before he sat down, opening his arms for me to curl up beside him. I nuzzled into his side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Explain," I said with a small smile, wiping my eyes.

"Okay," he said with a chuckle, nuzzling his nose with mine before pulling back. "I left on Sunday for New York. I stayed with your mom Sunday and Monday night—"

"My mom?" I interrupted and he nodded, brushing a stray piece of hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear. "My mom was in on this? Did you see Edward? Wait, what about—" He put a finger to my lips and smirked.

"Let me explain," he said with another chuckle. "Remember when I talked to your mom on the phone a little over two weeks ago?" I did. "I told her I was planning on visiting you and she begged me to stop in New York to meet her and your father. I met Edward and Bella, they came when I arrived."

"What about Annabelle?" I asked after he trusted me enough to remove his hand from my lips. He smirked at my impatience, but nodded.

"Annabelle is with Rosalie, although Rose isn't happy about where I am," he trailed off and I shook my head, not meaning where she was, but if he told them of his daughter. "I told your parents about Annabelle and had an extremely long talk with your father. It was a lot to take in over the course of a day or so. Your brother still dislikes me, but he's protective, just as Rosalie is. It will blow over, I'm sure." I nodded, now aware of how Edward was still on edge when I spoke of Jasper. "They invited Annabelle and I for Christmas and I said I would speak to you."

"You didn't call," I changed the subject, not wanting to touch on the holidays just yet. Maybe when I was more awake or when someone else would make the decision for me.

"Well Sunday I was on the plane and that night Edward and Bella came for dinner. I was up until two in the morning talking to your father. Monday, your mom didn't let me out of her sight. I tried to call before, but all I got was static," he said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to worry."

I continued to nod, taking it all in. Jasper was _here, _in Paris, and I was in sweatpants with my hair a mess, my eyes dilated from all the caffeine and I was completely confused. It was too much to take in.

"I don't think I got a kiss yet," he broke through my sleepy haze and I looked up to see that infectious grin. "I'm hurt," he confessed, but he looked anything but. I rolled my eyes and leaned in to press my lips to his and his arm slid down to my waist, pulling me into his lap. I gasped at the contact and his lips left mine to skim my neck, his warm breath leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. I closed my eyes, although I was frightened that once I opened them, he would be gone. He stopped immediately after sensing my discomfort and looked up, brushing my cheek with the back of his hand. "What's wrong?"

"I'm—still confused," I said in a daze, frustrated by my slurred exhausted voice. He chuckled, kissing my cheek.

"You're cute when you're tired," he noted, leaning over to blow out the candle and picking me up in his arms. "Bedroom's this way?" he asked rhetorically as we walked into the bedroom and he laid me down on the bed.

"No—wait, you're staying here, right?" I asked, still somewhat unable to sort out all the thoughts swarming my brain. He kicked off his shoes and slid in beside me to answer my question. His arms wrapped around my waist and his lips met my ear.

"Sleep," he whispered, kissing my cheek. "I'll be right here when you wake up," he promised and I turned to face him, staring at him before my eyelids fell heavy and I inevitably fell asleep.

* * *

**You all love me now cause I brought Jasper back. I just realized 7 is a lucky number and this is chapter seven and Jasper's back. :) OBVIOUSLY they still have a lot to talk about, which is why I gave Alice the day off. ****QUESTION: I may or may not write a lemon in one of the upcoming chapters. Are you against it, for it, what? Leave it in a review. **

**Thanks for reading! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: There's no lemon in this chapter, but it is suggestive, so be wary and "ak," keep your daughter away. **

**Disclaimer: It all belongs to Meyer, except Annabelle. She's MINE. :)**

Jasper—Jasper was in Paris—what a lovely masochistic dream I had last night. I knew I missed him, but for my mind to fabricate his arrival—it was cruel, really. "Alice," I heard his sweet voice in my ear and begged for the dream to end. The last thing I wanted was to wake up and he wasn't there. Maybe I could slip into another dream before—I shuddered as I felt a hand slide down my outer thigh.

I closed my eyes tighter, leaning into the warmth of the dream despite myself, letting his arm tighten around my waist. His lips skimmed across the smooth pallor of my neck down to my collarbone. I leaned my back into his chest, relishing the feeling of our touch, even if layers of fabric separated us. "Wake up," the apparition whispered and I shook my head, biting my lip and whimpering as his teeth grazed my jaw line.

"Wake up," he whispered again and I groaned in protest before the wind was knocked from my chest as he pinned me against the mattress and a shadow hovered above me. His lips met mine in an intoxicating kiss, his tongue brushing against my lower lip and my jaw relaxed to allow him entrance. My hands were pinned beside me and I struggled to fight the dream away, but when the sensation ended all too quickly, his lips were pressed against my ear again.

"Alice," the way he said my name—this was too painful and yet so realistic. I finally listened and cracked my eye open, meeting Jasper's gaze. An irresistible smile was plastered on his face and I recognized those adorable childish dimples. "Good morning," he whispered, nuzzling his nose with mine.

"Can you—wake me like that every morning?" I mumbled sleepily and he chuckled, rolling off of me as I groaned in protest, frantically grabbing his arm and pulling him back. He let me win, settling back beside me and we lay on our sides, facing each other. His hand slid down to my hip, his thumb brushing the sensitive skin exposed from the sweatpants I wore that slid down my hips throughout the night.

I let my hand cover his on my hip, silencing his inaudible want that my own body echoed. I reached my hand up, pushing on his shoulder to force him to lie on his back. He obliged and I straddled his waist, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, my teeth taking his lower lip roughly. He groaned; his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me flush against him. My lips left his and trailed down to his jaw line.

My hands slipped beneath his sweater, nails raking against the indents of his abdomen as our lips met in a passionate heat. My hands traveled further down, my fingers looping in his belt loops and tugging gently. His blonde curls brushed against my cheek as his lips moved further down, his teeth taking the strap of my tank top and pushing it down. His lips met the newly exposed cleavage and I squirmed, closing my eyes and biting my lip as sweet feminine sighs escaped my lips.

"I missed you," he whispered and I nodded, unable to respond as the warmth of desire spread throughout my body. I tugged at his sweater and in one swift motion he had it up over his head and on the floor. He brought the hem of my shirt higher and higher up my abdomen before I arched my back and tore it off, tossing it onto the floor. My hands fell to his shoulders as his hand moved over to my lace-covered breast. I arched my back, closing my eyes and savoring the sensation. He silenced my moan with a searing kiss.

My hands skimmed down his chest and I unbuttoned his pants, tugging them down, while his hands worked on unhooking my bra. He kicked off his pants the rest of the way and I guided his hands back the front of my torso, unhooking the bra in the front, to which he mumbled something along the lines of, "those should be banned."

I smiled, but as his lips met the newly exposed skin, I almost shot off the bed. I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging gently as his teeth grazed each aroused nub. I squirmed and while his lips were busy on my torso, his hands were pulling down my sweatpants ever so slowly. Inching them down every few seconds. I groaned, needing a release of the tension and I slid my hand down his abdomen to his arousal, my fingertips gently dancing along the tip, although still covered with unnecessary fabric.

His lips let my skin, immediately meeting my own. I kicked off my pants in my haste, but soon his hand locked around my wrist, pinning it just beside my head. He hovered above me and I stared into his darkening lustful gaze. His free hand quickly rid us of the rest of our clothes and as my fingernails dug into his back; he quickly took that wrist to my other side, lacing his fingers with mine. Our lips met as the heat swirled around me, leaving me in a dizzy passionate haze. "Jazz..."

My eyes shot open and I found myself facing the wonderful man of my dreams. It _was_ a dream. He was still here; that wonderful, amazing fiancé of mine did make it to Paris. His blonde curls were sprawled out over the pillow and covering his eyes, his arms reached out toward me in his slumber. I longed to slip back into my dream and let him have his way with me, but I remembered those torturous black binders in the other room. I had work to do.

I decided to let him sleep off the jet lag and I slipped out of his arms, padding into the living room to take my cup of unfinished coffee from last night and put it in the sink as I went to make more. A note was underneath the front door from the hotel, apologizing for the inconvenience last night. I tossed it in the trashcan and slipped the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door. I would be working all day, I didn't want housekeeping coming in and kicking us out—let alone clean around me.

I flopped back to the couch and opened up the second binder before I leaned my head against the back of the couch, closing my eyes, my mind drifting to the dream that had startled me this morning. Naturally, I missed Jasper, but I didn't exactly think of the physical absence of him in comparison to the emotional. I was a girl, while he was thinking of phone sex, I was thinking of wedding dresses. I wasn't exactly sure if Jasper had given in to the male stereotype, but whom was I kidding?

I felt his lips on mine and I opened my eyes in surprise as I stared at him upside down. "How long have you been up?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Not long; I didn't want to wake you," I murmured and he smirked, crossing to sit beside me, motioning toward the binder in my lap. "Long story. I have to memorize all these people who will be at the benefit tomorrow night and I got through one binder last night, but I don't know if I remember and—" He smiled as I caught myself from rambling when I realized I needed to breathe. "There's coffee in the kitchen," I said, pointing to the room on the left.

He got up from the couch, going where I pointed. "You want some?" he asked and then chuckled. "Of course you do, what am I saying?" I smiled as well, but somehow I felt the same butterfly feeling in my stomach from our first date. It was weird, like we hadn't been through half of what we had. Maybe it was anxiety from work; maybe it was shock from his unexpected visit—I needed to focus on work right now. I needed to memorize about two hundred more people and make sure the two hundred from last night stuck in my head. Jasper didn't come at such a good time.

He came back with a coffee cup in each hand, sipping one and handing me the other. I thanked him, greedily taking it and finishing half of it before I put it on the table and stared at the first page. "Maybe you should relax a little," he immediately noted how uptight I was and I shook my head.

"I don't have time," I said frantically. "I can't—I'm sorry, I love that you're here, I do, I just have so much work to do and I don't know if I can finish it in time and I don't want to make a fool out of—" I continued to ramble as he got up from the couch, now feeling extremely guilty. He came all the way to Paris for me and I was pushing him away, but he merely stood behind me, leaving the coffee on the end table. His hands were on my shoulders, silently kneading the tense muscles, stopping the words that fell from my lips almost immediately.

"Have you had anything, but coffee in the last twenty-four hours?" he asked as I leaned into his perfect touch. I vaguely remembered the masseuse back in New York, but _nothing _was like what Jasper was doing to me right now. He should take up massage therapy—privately.

"I had—no," I said with a sigh and he squeezed my shoulders before his perfect touch disappeared. I reached out a hand to quickly lace my fingers with his. I leaned my head back, looking at him upside down and pursing my lips. He bent down to grant me a quick peck before his lips met my cheek and moved to my ear.

"Get dressed," his lips brushed against my ear with each syllable and I closed my eyes, grunting when he pulled back. "You need food and fresh air, so we're going to get something to eat and then you can study like a mad woman, okay?" he smirked, squeezing my hand before letting it go. I couldn't argue with him, I needed to see something other than the yellow and blue interior of my hotel room.

I went in the shower, coming out and changing into a white short-sleeved lace dress with a black slip underneath and a black belt across, pairing it with leather boots. My hair still wrapped in a towel, I went back to the vanity in my bedroom and Jasper took my place in the bathroom. The door opened and I still hadn't turned around, too busy fixing my damp hair in the mirror, but I felt eyes watching me and I turned around to see Jasper, clad in a nice pair of jeans and white v-neck, watching me intently. I immediately fell self-conscious and looking frantically down at my outfit.

"What?" I asked quickly, smoothing out the hem and adjusting the belt. He shook his head minutely, his jaw clenching and relaxing as he approached me, stopping my hands from adjusting any other bit of my outfit. I looked up at him slowly and his eyes burned a bit of untold desire. Maybe I shouldn't have been so nervous in that department.

"You look beautiful," he confessed in a mere whisper, his hand cupping my cheek as a droplet of water fell from his hair and hit my cheek. I smiled and leaned closer to him, his arm finding its way around my waist. We were an inch apart before there was a knock at the door. We both closed our eyes and pulled apart as I silently went to the door. I was worried I wouldn't have ay bit of time with Jasper. It was amazing that he was here and I loved that he wanted to surprise me, but with working and so little time to spare—I didn't even know how long he was here for.

I opened the door to find Demetri, smiling widely. "What's up?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"How was last night?" he asked suggestively and I hit his arm—_hard. _"Alright, alright, I was wondering if you and the hunk wanted to go get something to eat." I glanced over my shoulder at my bedroom door and sighed.

"We were going to go out, but I don't think he'd mind," my voice trailed off as Demetri passed by me, going into the living room.

"Wonderful, because I may have already chosen a place," he said with a grin and I rolled my eyes.

"You've had this planned for a while," I noted and he shrugged, sitting on the couch and putting his feet up. I went to grab the coffee cups and put them in the kitchen and I heard Jasper enter the living room as Demetri greeted him.

"I'm Demetri, the fashion guru who has gotten your fiancé to buy lingerie and you must be Jasper," my cheeks burned in embarrassment, but Jasper smirked, nodding and shaking hands with Demetri.

"What an introduction," I said, entering the room to stand by Jasper's side, sticking my tongue out at Demetri as Jasper tucked me under his arm. Demetri shrugged, taking the lead out of the apartment.

"If I didn't tell him, he may never see it," he kept walking down the hallway as I shut my hotel room door and Jasper and I followed behind him.

Lunch was eventful. Demetri interrogated Jasper like another parent and I was pretty sure Jasper had enough of that—from my mom, my dad, Edward, Rosalie, now Demetri—but he answered everything thrown at him. It wasn't harsh, just personal, but Jasper didn't seem to mind with me around. I felt guilty for him facing my parents alone, but then again, I hadn't heard from my parents since I had left—did they want to talk me out of it when I got home? What did they think of him?

Demetri offered to take Jasper sightseeing to give me time to work on my own, but he declined politely. He said he had a few things to get done as well, but that he would definitely take a rain check—meaning he was obviously here for more than a day. When we got back, it was only two in the afternoon, but I knew I had so much work to do. He let me have some space to study while he took to whatever he needed to do in my bedroom and I stayed in the living room where my work had already been started.

Halfway through the book, I was distracted. I was wasting my time with him, but I was torn. From so much work to do, but there was an amazing man in my bed—literally.

_No, focus, Alice! Work now; play later. _

But I couldn't think as I pictured him lying in my room for the last two hours without me, doing who knows what. I shut the binder, getting up and opening the door to see him with his nose in a book, his eyes immediately drifting to mine at the bounce in the bed as I joined him. I sat tucking my legs under me and he closed his book, keeping his pointer finger to mark where he left off.

"How long are you here?" I asked taking one of his large calloused hands in both of mine and spreading his fingers before I laced and re-laced them with my own.

"I leave on Saturday," he replied with a small sad smile. "Don't mind me, finish your work," he said squeezing my hand. "I was going to call Rose to check on Annabelle in a bit." I nodded slowly, but I didn't move. He pursed his lips into an adorable pout and placed his book on the nightstand, opening up his arms for me to enter. I curled up against his side and he kissed my temple. "What's wrong, my darling?" he whispered, concerned.

"It feels weird," I muttered into his side. "I mean, I have you here and I'm so thankful and you went across the world for me. I feel back that you had to see my parents alone—I mean, my dad can be a bit harsh and Edward obviously wasn't too welcoming. I am so grateful and I love you, but we feel weird," I tried to explain. "Obviously there's tension, I haven't seen you in three weeks after seeing you everyday for three weeks, but there's something else and I—" He hushed me with a kiss before I could continue, his fingertips lifted my chin and stayed to keep me at just the right angle to leave me breathless.

"You worry too much," he said as he pulled back. His smile was contagious and I found myself smiling with him. "Your parents' reaction wasn't that big of a surprise and your brother treated me just as Rosalie treats you. It will all blow over, but me coming across the globe for you, Alice," his voice dropped to a murmur as his forehead rested against mine. "Honey, you're doing that for me," I closed my eyes as his breath warmed my face, savoring the feeling of his arms wrapped around me. "Go finish working," he ruined the moment as he pulled back and I pouted.

"Honey, baby, darling," I grumbled in annoyance and he smirked, I had a feeling he would remember that comment forever. He knew exactly how to have me nothing but putty in his capable hands just by those three endearments and all in one sentence could surely send me over the edge. His southern drawl came out a bit at each word, melting me with his thick honey bass.

I climbed off the bed and let him return to his book, but an idea popped into my head and I turned around with a devious smirk. "Jazz, I don't think it's fair that we have to be apart even when I'm working," I began, watching his face scrunch up in confusion. "Can you help me?" he raised an eyebrow and I held out my hand. Reluctantly, he took it and I led him into the living room, sitting him down on the couch.

"Just to test me," I said with a smile. "Hold up some pictures and I'll rattle off the facts that are on the information card," I explained, setting up the binder in front of him and sitting across from him on the other side of the coffee table, sitting on the floor. He shrugged and began the test, holding up one of the Volturi women, whom I knew immediately.

It went on like that for two hours, he held up pictures and I would rattle off facts. If I got something wrong, he would shake his head and I would add that to a study pile. I didn't exactly tell him my plan until later when he was lying on his back, holding up more of the unsure pile, not looking at me anymore, but looking at the ceiling. I hesitated at the next photo card and bit my lip, leaning over the coffee table.

"Jazz?" I asked quietly and he mumbled something of acknowledgement before I shifted nervously. I was never one to be—frisky, for lack of a better word. I was always for basic in the physical relationship. When Jasper and I would kiss, that would send me into oblivion, but I had a small feeling that he may enjoy this as much as I would. So I sucked up my self-conscious bullshit and attempted a sexy, sultry voice. "How about we make this a little interesting…"

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**A/N: Can I just say, ALL of you were begging for a lemon? Okay, one of you didn't want one, but I was flooded with reviews saying, "oh, I wouldn't mind... ;)" So just wait until the next chapter, but who liked Alice's "wet dream"? What do you think Alice has planned? What do you think will happen next? A lemon will be in the next chapter, to warn ya or excite you. lol Thanks for reading! :)**

**More reviews I get, the faster I write. You're all awesome, thanks for reading! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The rating has been changed to M. Bedtime in this chapter and they're not sleeping... ;)**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns her stuff and I own mine. **

"So close," he said with a smirk, buttoning his shirt again and I groaned, narrowing my eyes and pointing an accusatory finger at him before I snatched the picture and information card from his hand. Heidi, Heidi—ah ex-wife of _Caius_ Volturi, not Marcus. Shit, so close! I pouted and bit my lower lip, but Jasper shrugged. "It's you're game, darling," he said as he stifled a grin.

It's true; it was my game. My little interesting perk was simple. If I got a question right, he would unbutton, unzip, untie, or simply take an article of clothing off. Of course his end of the deal was that if I got a question wrong, I was had to take something off. He had tried to keep telling me I was wrong in the beginning, to which I would check each card and tell him to play fair. I felt like a teenager again.

In my pile of clothing I had discarded my belt from the game, my stockings and both shoes for comfort reasons. Lucky for me, I had a lot of jewelry on, which Jasper did not. In his pile, he had a belt, a watch, his shoes and socks, and had unbuttoned his shirt three quarters of the way down. Work now; play when I was done. I silently agreed that once both of us lost most of our clothing, I had enough studying and would be fine for tomorrow. Of course, the further we got, the more distracted I was as I tried to remember facts. I had a gorgeous man stripping in front of me—who said I would have logic?

"Your dress, babe," he said, leaning back and raising an eyebrow and I shook my head.

"You wish," I stuck my tongue out, taking off my earrings and putting them in my pile. He rolled his eyes and I put both cards back before he held up another. "Jane Volturi, co-owner of her father's company. She works alongside her brother Alec, just broke off her partnership with her cousin Sulpicia," I rattled off easily.

"Father's name," Jasper demanded and I rolled my eyes. He always thought he could get me, but believe me; the dress was coming off regardless of how the game went.

"Aro, brother of Marcus and Caius, of the Volturi label," I said, grinning happily when he put the card on the table and another button was undone. Before I could move on, a knock was at the door and I rolled my eyes, hopping up. Decent enough to answer the door, I did and was rewarded with a bottle of champagne and two glasses from a hotel employee.

"It's a congratulations from the man down the hall," the woman said in a brilliant French accent. I nodded, thanking her and shutting and locking the door as I turned to face Jasper, who raised his eyebrows at the gift.

"Demetri likes you," I noted before I popped the bottle open and poured him a glass. "Give me another one," I said with a smile as I handed him his drink and poured my own. He held up another picture and I immediately rattled off the information, sitting down across from him. He put the card down and I picked up my glass to toast. He waited patiently as I thought for a minute. "To—love," I said simply and he rolled his eyes. I stuck my tongue out at him before adding, "and… sex." He nodded at the addition, quickly finishing the glass.

I poured him another drink as his shirt came off, leaving me giddy. Only a bit more and the game would end—or just begin. Perhaps I was a bit too confident to even be playing this game, but he didn't seem to mind and the longer we went, the more fun he seemed to have. I didn't need to know their favorite colors, but I did need to know who they were recently affiliated with and what company they owned. A simple mistake of pronunciation didn't matter.

I sat down on the couch behind him as he pulled out the next card and held it up. I drummed my fingertips against the glass surface, trying to remember who the woman was and he rested his temple against my knee. I absently ran my fingers through his hair as I sipped at my champagne. In my concentration, I had realized he had shifted; I gasped as I felt his warm breath on my outer thigh before he pressed an open-mouthed kiss to my flushed skin.

"Jasper," I mumbled in a weak protest, tugging at his hair, but he simply dropped the card and his fingertips ran up my inner thigh, bunching up my dress to expose more skin for his lips to explore. "I'm not done," I gasped out, biting my lip and shuddering as his teeth ran across my upper thigh.

"I think you are," he argued, turning to face me as his hands continued their way up my skirt. With his head between my legs, he roughly pulled me to the edge of the couch, spreading my legs to either side of him and kissing my inner thighs, painfully slow. I threaded my fingers to his scalp, tugging gently and bucking my hips toward him as his fingertips looped around my panties bringing them swiftly down my legs.

"Jazz, I—" before I could continue, his tongue ran against my opening and I closed my eyes, gasping and instinctively. His calloused fingertips ran teasing circles on the inside of my thighs as his tongue slipped inside my most intimate area. My head lolled back and my back arched as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation, but as soon as it had happened, it was over.

My eyes shot open as he swept me off my feet; I squealed as he threw me over his shoulder and his deep chuckle vibrated my chest as I hung helplessly. Once in the bedroom, he put me on my feet and dizzily took a step toward the bed, but he walked toward me, backing me into the corner of the room. His hands rested on either side of the wall, keeping me right where he wanted me. I stared up at him with innocent eyes and he smirked, his eyes darkened with lust.

My hands gripped his shoulders before my nails raked the exposed skin of his chest. His lips met mine in the passionate haze that surrounded us. His arms circled my waist, pulling me against him before he spun me around and pushed my torso against the wall, leaning his chest against my back. I felt his breath against my ear as his fingers raked my dress for the zipper before he carelessly tore it down, his lips meeting my neck as my lace dress pooled at my feet.

He pushed the thin strap of my slip down my shoulders so that, too, could fall effortlessly down my petite frame. I could feel his excitement constricting against his jeans as he rested against me, taking my hand that had been leaning against the wall to spin me around. My mind was foggy, my eyesight unclear as his lips continued to nibble and suck the flushed skin of my neck and shoulder, somehow managing to maneuver us both to the bed. My knees hit the edge of the bed frame and he held me upright, squeezing me around the waist. I whimpered when his lips left my shoulder before I felt his lips peck my eyelids, forehead, cheeks, and pepper across my nose before finally meeting my lips.

I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging gently as he lowered me onto the bed, quickly moving over me. My hands slid down his abdomen, quickly doing away with his jeans. As my fingertips grazed his arousal, he grunted against my lips and pulled back to meet my gaze. With a devilish smirk, I pushed him on his back and straddled his waist. As I pressed light kisses across his chest and abdomen, I tugged his boxers the rest of the way down. His hands ran down my back and quickly rid me of my bra, tossing it to the side. I gasped as his lithe fingertips met the newly exposed skin, running across each aroused nub. I arched my back and he sat up with me, pressing hot open-mouthed kisses across my breast.

I whimpered and he moaned in satisfaction, but I pressed against his shoulder, moving him back against the mattress. My hand lightly ran against the length of him, I bit my lip as I watched his eyes close and a groan rumble from his chest. I withdrew my hand to press myself against him before slowly letting him fill me completely. I closed my eyes, arching my back and leaning my head back as he gripped my hips and guided me down on him again.

He sat up, snaking his arms around my waist, and I wrapped my arms around him as his teeth lightly bit down on the smooth skin of my neck. Our lips met frantically as I ground my hips against him before I began a steady rhythm, relishing the heat that built between us. Frustrated with my teasing pace, he gripped my hips, raising me off him, and he pinned me to the mattress, entering me once again. I leaned my head back against the pillows and his name fell from my lips.

My leg hitched around his hip and pressed him deeper as his lips ran down to my breast, his tongue swirling around the hardened arousal. "Jazz—" I gasped, my fingernails digging into his back. "M—more," I pleaded as his hand slid down to where our bodies met and his thumb pressed against me. I would have shot off the bed if his other hand hadn't been gripping my hip.

"Alice," he ground out as his pace quickened and I squeezed my eyes shut as I reached a sweet release. The colors exploded behind my lids and I whimpered his name over and over as he soon followed suit. I relished the sound of his breath as he panted, the waves still washing over me in a sweet irresistible bliss. His lips brushed across mine and he gently pulled out ensuing a dreadful emptiness that followed.

He collapsed next to me and I opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling as our breathing slowed. My hand found his, our fingertips lacing together. I turned my head to the side, as did he, meeting his loving, passionate gaze with a similar copy. "I love you," I whispered and a smile tugged at his lips.

"And I love you," he replied simply, squeezing my hand.

"Thank you," I murmured, my cheeks flushing as his smile grew to a grin. "For loving me, for coming to Pairs," I trailed off and looked away, turning my head so my gaze met the stucco white ceiling. "I was worried you wouldn't want to wait much longer," I confessed quietly. His grip on my hand tightened as he encouraged me to continue before he would interrupt. "You didn't call for three days. The first day or two I thought something was wrong with Annabelle, but then Lucy told me—"

"Lucy?" he asked confused.

"She said she went to high school with you," I explained and bitter recognition claimed his expression. "She said she was there when you and—Maria were together."

"What did she tell you?" he sighed, his gaze never leaving my face as I continued to stare at the ceiling, the patterns blurring together.

"Nothing, I just—"

"Alice," Jasper warned, narrowing his gaze when I tried to backtrack. "What did she say?" he repeated sternly.

"She said you were with other women a couple months before Annabelle was born," I said quietly, hating the silence that followed. What did _that _mean? Maybe he was cheating and he was caught now or maybe he had been cheating in the past and would have to explain how he's changed—or hasn't. "But I shouldn't have believed her—I was scared and you weren't calling me back and I thought that if I—" I rambled, hoping he would stop me with some bit of denial. His fingertips tilted my head back so that my cheek was resting against the pillow and I met his gaze.

"I would never lie to you," he vowed sincerely, taking my hand up to his lips. "I love you and no one else," he continued, not leaving my gaze as his lips grazed the skin just below the engagement ring on my left hand. "Trust me, I was with your parents the _entire _time," he said and I let a small smile meet my lips.

"I do trust you," I replied in a whisper, my free hand going to cup his cheek. My thumb brushed along his cheekbone as he lowered our hands.

"I will always have to live with what happened between Maria and I," he continued solemnly. "But it was years ago and anything that happened between us is all in the past," he swore. "I married her because I felt obligated. It was never love, but I never went outside of the relationship to search for it." His lips pressed to the heel of my palm as my thumb continued lazy patterns across his cheek. "After Maria, I made mistakes and never held a steady relationship until I met you," his voice fell quiet and for a moment, we fell silent.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with _you_," he continued with a small smile. "Only you, Alice. Understand that," he whispered and I nodded slowly as he leaned over to kiss the tip of my nose before our lips met in a chaste kiss. As we broke apart, we continued to marvel one another and the love that emanated from both of us. Our conversation continued with our gaze. My eyes forgave him and his shone through appreciation. I glanced at the red marks that covered his shoulder blades, claiming him as mine.

"It's such a shame," he broke the blissful silence in a husky voice and my eyes shot up to his as I noticed the lust burning behind his brilliant emerald irises.

"What?" I asked, my voice thin.

"Well we spent all that time studying," he trailed off as he moved to hover over me. His lips met my ear and I gasped as his warm breath met my flushed skin. "And you won't be able to go to the benefit tomorrow night," he whispered, his tongue running along the outside of my ear burning a heat in its wake.

"W—why not?" I stuttered to which he pressed a kiss to my earlobe.

"You won't be able to stand once I'm through with you," his voice was hoarse and thick with desire as he pressed his arousal against my inner thigh. His lips met mine over and over in as I struggled to keep myself from fainting and between each kiss, he mumbled three words. "Honey—_baby_—darlin'."

* * *

**A/N: I'm not even close to being done with this story, but I want to let you in on a secret... I've been thinking of writing a few outtakes for this in Jasper's point of view. This way, you can see what happened when he visited Esme and Carlisle in New York and perhaps the drama with Rosalie, but I'll need your help. You have to tell me what you want to read. Now and as you continue reading, tell me which chapter would you like to re-read in Jasper's perspective. Ask questions/make comments like: I wonder what Jasper was doing in Chapter _! Hopefully I'll answer them in an outtake/deleted scene-type thing.**

**I have my playlist on my author page. Tell me if you like the song choices and/or if you have a song to add/suggest. I am always downloading new music, so I haven't exactly put all of the songs from my iTunes playlist in the one posted on my author page, but most are there. Some explain more of Jasper's position/character (i.e. Trouble, Think I Wanna Die, The Breeze, etc.) Hence my plan to write a few bits in his point of view, but I don't want to be jumping from hers to his, I don't like when that happens. **

******Once again, thank you for reading and what did you think of this chapter? Thanks to some familiar frequent reviewers: ja4ever, CandyHardyCenaHale, txjazz1863, Skylar87, and delta74 and of course, anyone else who is reading this! Thank you for reviewing/reading/alerting/favoriting/etc. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to its rightful owner. I own the scenario, Meyer owns the characters, France owns Paris, etc. etc. **

I awoke to find my body unable to move. Jasper's words from last night replayed in my head: _you won't be able to stand when I'm through with you_. I felt Jasper's arms around my waist, keeping me close, my back against his chest, and my hips ached as I shifted slowly to test the water. How well did he keep that promise? I buried my face into the pillow as I groaned, stretching my arms in front of me and slowly extending my legs, feeling the muscles constrict. I felt his warm breath as he exhaled deeply into my shoulder and I immediately stopped my struggle.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I knew I had a few hours until I would be forced to face reality once again. For now, I would enjoy the time I had with Jasper. In two days he would be gone and I would go another week or more without him. My stomach lurched at the thought of him leaving and as if on cue, I felt his lips meet the back of my neck, his grip tightening around my waist.

"Good morning," he greeted me, his voice husky and thick with sleep. I mumbled a reply before I eased myself to turn and face him, leaning on my side and draping his arm back around me. One eye closed and buried into the pillow, the other peering through his messy curls, a crooked smirk met his perfect lips.

I nuzzled my head into the pillow; closing my eyes and feeling my cheeks redden as the memories of the previous night flooded my thoughts. I opened my eyes as his fingertips grazed my cheek, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. I covered his hand as he caressed my cheek. "I missed you," I whispered, kissing the heel of his palm.

"And I, you," he replied simply, smiling as his thumb brushed over my lower lip.

Our eyes met and a silent conversation ensued, sharing both the heartache and adoration we had endured the past few weeks without one another. He had Annabelle as a distraction, where I had free time and a job that wasn't what kept me up at night. I hoped I would be able to endure the rest of my trip without him, but I knew regardless, he had Annabelle to get home to and she was his first priority. She was mine as well—I missed her as if she were my own daughter. Falling in love with Jasper so quickly was one predicament, but falling in love with his sweet adorable toddler was another entirely.

Speak of the devil; I heard the dull buzz of Jasper's phone somewhere on the floor. He sighed, blinking and looking away from me as he rolled over to look for his pants, but they were on my side of the bed and I quickly fished around his pocket before handing him the device. 'ROSALIE CALLING…' flashed across the screen and he picked it up immediately.

"I'm going to make some coffee," I murmured, regretfully leaving the warm covers to stagger to my feet. I bent down to grab his shirt, buttoning three or four buttons before stumbling into the kitchen, where I sat on the countertop as the coffee brewed. I glanced in the living room at the small piles of clothes next to the coffee table and the abandoned bottle of champagne with two empty glasses. We had quite a bit of cleaning up to do.

I heard Jasper's bass muffled from the next room, though unable to decipher the conversation. Something was off until I assumed Rosalie had given Annabelle the phone, when his tone suddenly changed for the better. I took two mugs from the cabinet and lined them up beside the pot as I heard Jasper's voice come closer.

"Well aren't you a lucky girl?" he asked with a chuckle as he reached the doorway clad in nothing but boxers. A bit inappropriate to be talking to your daughter in that garb, but none would be the wiser. He stared at me with a smile and I loved how his face lit up when he spoke of Annabelle. Once kept a secret from me, she was now mutually cherished. "I'll be home soon," he promised her, still not leaving my gaze. "I know, honey, but Aunt Rose will take you to ballet—do you want me to tell her to wait there like I do?"

The coffee pot beeped and I blinked, looking away from him as I hopped off the counter and poured each mug, listening to the rest of his conversation, my heart aching as he grew desperate to relax her. I felt horrible for pulling Jasper away from his daughter. "I love you," he eventually ended the conversation as I finished making his coffee, going to stand beside him to wrap my arms around him and give him a comforting hug. "Be good for Aunt Rose, okay? And have fun at ballet." I heard her high-pitched reply in the receiver as Jasper returned the embrace, resting his cheek on the top of my head.

The next voice came from Rosalie and I deciphered the faint words of his sister: "you leave your daughter behind and go across the globe for her. Wonderful, Jasper, just wonderful." I immediately pulled out of our embrace, taking my coffee cup into the next room, not hearing the rest of the conversation.

I went into the living room to tidy up the mess we had made the night before. I felt utterly horrible for bringing him here even if I hadn't known of his surprise visit until recently. Annabelle was missing him, Rosalie was giving him a hard time, and I was sitting back and letting it all happen. I couldn't do much of anything to help the situation except tell him to go home, but how would that help? He would be devastated. Here he had gone across the globe for me and I wanted him to leave?

As I picked up the pillows to place back on the couch, I heard the sound of his mug as he set it on the coffee table before I felt his arms snake around my waist and pull me back against his chest. His lips met my cheek before trailing down my neck, but I quickly inclined my head to block his path. "Don't do this," he pleaded in a whisper as I pulled out of his embrace.

"Don't do what?" I asked, not meeting his gaze as I continued to clean up, taking both of our piles back into the bedroom. He followed me, right on my heels as I began folding the clothes, placing them on the edge of the bed.

"Feel guilty," he explained, placing his hand over my arm to stop me from moving and I reluctantly met his gaze. "Annabelle is fine and Rosalie's—well, Rosalie's a bitch," he concluded with a sigh.

"She's right," I argued. "You went across the globe for me Jasper and what if Annabelle needed you or something happened and—" He pressed a finger against my lips before I could continue.

"Then I would be on the next flight home," he replied simply. "But nothing happened and Annabelle is with my sister, who wouldn't let anything happen to her—including a sugar rush, which is why Annabelle is complaining. If Rosalie were really unhappy with me coming here, she wouldn't have agreed to watch Annabelle. She's giving in; it'll just take some more time," he continued, before he wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me against his torso. "Alice, stop listening to everyone else," he said before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. He held me against him, silencing any regret that had bubbled to the surface and immediately ending any argument that may have begun.

He was right; I was listening to everyone but him. I listened to Lucy tell me he wasn't faithful and then he showed up in my doorway after crossing the globe to meet my parents and receive their blessing. I listened to Rosalie bitch and moan of how I wasn't worthy of Jasper let alone Annabelle. Oh, Annabelle—I hadn't realized I would fall in love with her as easily as I had. What, with her adorable lisp, father's dimples, and blooming fashion sense, what's not to love?

After a few seconds of deadened silence, I asked, "How is she?" Jasper smiled into my hair, inhaling deeply.

"She's fine. Emmett's keeping her busy with board games and dress-up," he said with a chuckle, shaking me with his deep laughter. "Of course, Rose won't let her have any sugary cereal, so she's about ready to burst, but she's fine."

I smiled into his chest, closing my eyes and listening to his light heartbeat as I remembered Annabelle running to me on her birthday, hugging my leg and not letting go when I gave her the dress she and I designed. "I miss her," I whispered, not realizing I had said that aloud until I felt his grip tighten around me.

"I know," he replied, his tone a bit melancholy after I spoke a mutual thought. Missing Jasper was one thing and I loved that he came to visit me, but I subconsciously wished he had brought Annabelle. Of course, not to witness last night's escapades—I blushed at the thought.

"Enough of the pessimism," he interrupted my internal monologue as he kissed the top of my head and pulled back slightly, lifting my chin with his fingertips. "Better?" he asked sweetly and I nodded. "Good, 'cause I think you have an event to get ready for." I interrupted him with a groan, burying my face back into his chest and he chuckled. "Come on, we did all that studying. I want it to pay off." _It already had. _

I reluctantly went to the bathroom, quickly stripping down to shower. Within the next hour or so, I had finished getting ready. Jasper had left me to my fussing, going into the living room and leaving me in the bedroom so I could finish changing repeatedly in front of the mirror, turning all different angles. I decided on a black Dolce and Gabbana Tulle corseted dress with black suede pumps and a few accent pieces to tie it together—mixed chain gold cluster bracelet and patchwork clutch. I jumped as I heard a knock at the door and thankfully, I heard Jasper grab it, leaving me to finish. I faintly heard Demetri's voice and knew to finish as soon as possible for fear of another interrogation.

Smoothing out the hem, I did one last 360, before I opened the bedroom door and walked into the living room. Demetri was sitting on the armchair facing the door while Jasper sat across from him on the couch, his back facing me. Demetri's voice trailed off when he met my gaze and looked me up and down. I shifted nervously before I looked to see Jasper had turned and had his eyes on me as well. I couldn't decipher either reaction and bounced on the balls of my feet, biting my lip in anticipation. "Can someone say something?" I begged.

"Dolce and Gabbana?" Demetri asked with a knowing smile and I nodded, spinning as he motioned for me to. "Perfect. God, if only more women had your fashion sense, my dear," he mused with a chuckle and I smiled, nervously glancing at Jasper, who hadn't moved.

"What do you think?" I asked, looking down and smoothing down the seam to fit snugly against my curves. He hadn't said anything, he hadn't moved. Did he hate it? I was worried it would be too tight, hugging every curve: I mean _every _curve. Demetri was always sweet, but maybe—

"Stunning," he replied simply and I looked up to meet his adorable infectious dimpled smile. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks as I blushed, looking toward Demetri and then the door.

"Are we meeting Lucy there?" I asked and Demetri shrugged.

"She was still getting ready before I came here, but I thought I'd come and escort you out," he said with a smile before he looked toward Jasper. "Are you just staying here?" He nodded, motioning to the book he held in his lap. "Ah, right, the scholar. Alright, I won't keep her out late," he teased before standing and smoothing out his attire, in which I noticed his impeccable ensemble.

"Dashing," I teased with a smile and he rolled his eyes.

"Say goodbye to your hubby, I'll meet you in the hall," he said with a suggestive eyebrow curve and I blushed as Jasper stood and Demetri left the room.

Jasper wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me gently against him before he gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Are you sure you'll be all right here by yourself?" I asked, worriedly.

"I'll be fine. I have a few books to keep me company," he said, nuzzling his nose with mine. My eyelids fluttered as his breath warmed my cheeks and I tried to stay upright, too keyed up in his embrace and touch to focus.

"A—and tomorrow I have off, so we can go sightseeing before you leave on Saturday," I said, letting out a shaky breath as he moaned a reply.

"I'll wait up," he whispered and I shook my head stubbornly, pulling away from him to disagree more clearly.

"Don't, you still haven't gotten over the jetlag," I argued and he silenced my fight with a kiss. His lips moved cautiously against mine before my tongue traced his lower lip and the innocent intentions were thrown to the wall. He tightened his grip around me as my teeth took his lower lip. When I pulled away, he pressed a kiss to my neck, my cheek, my forehead, my jaw line, and then my nose. It seemed we hadn't exactly finished what had transpired last night.

"I have to go," I whispered, feeling his breath settle on my forehead as he nodded and pulled back, our fingers lacing together. I walked to the door, not letting go of his hand until I was too far away from the couch to hold it any longer. I closed the door with another glance back before I shut it and jumped, as Demetri was right behind me.

"Did I scare you?" he asked with a cheeky grin. I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm just as Lucy came out of her hotel room in a gorgeous strapless green lace Dolce and Gabbana dress with a black slip and a black belt across the waist. I suddenly felt small next to her perfect frame—not too tall, not too short, and not too thin. With blonde hair and blue eyes, she was the typical ingénue and I was the girl next door.

"Ready?" Demetri interrupted my interior self-criticisms before he linked arms with me and led us to the elevator.

Fortunately for me, Lucy hadn't spoken to me once the entire night. I mingled with a few recognizable faces, keeping Demetri close to my side, his familiar face keeping me out of the limelight. I had escaped most of the interrogations, catching just one from Jane Volturi when she had heard that I was the shiny new toy. Demetri immediately took me out of the scenario and soon enough the night was over. I had a few drinks, but just to loosen me up and by the end of the night, I wanted to sleep another twenty-four hours.

Demetri walked me to my door and kissed both cheeks before I unlocked the door and stepped inside my warm and inviting hotel room, knowing Jasper was there. "Jazz?" I called out, but didn't get an answer. I wandered into the living room to find him asleep on the couch, arm thrown over his torso hugging the unfinished book to himself. His hair was a mess, legs surpassing the arm of the couch and hanging over the side. For once he listened to me and got some sleep.

I quietly walked over to him and sat on the edge of the couch, kicking off my heels and running my fingers through his hair. "Jazz, wake up," I whispered, not wanting him to sleep on the couch all night. His eyes fluttered open, bloodshot and exhausted. I pouted and took his hand, lifting it to take the book from under his arm to put it on the coffee table.

"You're home," he noted, his voice thick with sleep and I stood, taking his hand and pathetically trying to pull him to his feet. He slowly obliged and I wrapped his arm around my shoulder to help, I suppose that was my intention, though he didn't need it. He hugged me to his side and pressed a kiss to my temple as we entered the bedroom. I left him to sit on the bed as I gathered my things to change and get ready for bed. "How was it?" I heard him ask as I shut the bathroom door.

"Good. It went really fast," I replied, slipping out of my dress and changing into an old pair of sweats to keep me comfortable. I scrubbed the layers of makeup off my face before I opened the door and turned the light off, hopping up on the bed to curl up next to Jasper, who was already succumbing to the evil clutches of jetlag. From all the traveling I had bee doing, I hadn't really recovered either.

I rolled to my side, taking his arm to wrap around my waist and he opened his mouth to speak, but I moaned in protest. "Sleep, Jazz," I ordered sleepily, rolling over to face him and he nodded slowly. I kissed the tip of his nose and closed my eyes, about to let sleep take hold. His words accompanied my beginning slumber: "I love you."

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**This story has a few more chapters to go (I'm planning for fifteen), but I wanted to ask what you want to see next. I'm a big Alice and Jasper fan, so obviously it will focus on them. ****Would you like a boarding school story with a bit of bad boy Jasper and new girl Alice? I'm thinking father-son rebellion and some bets will be made (similar to **_**Beautiful People**_**). Are there any **_**Pride and Prejudice**_** fans out there? I've thought of a Pride and Prejudice version with a bit of the minor characters in the forefront rather than Bella and Edward. Then again, I have a story planned of all the ways Bella could have died in the saga. It's a collection of one shots to showcase how close she was to death. Would you rather read that or stick to the romance? If you love the romance, what about a forbidden celebrity affair? I have way too many ideas. :)**

**Also, sorry for not putting in the whole party, but I didn't feel up to it. I can make an outtake, I suppose, if you were REALLY looking forward to it. Let me know in a review. **

**Thanks for reading/reviewing/alerting/favoriting! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to its rightful owner. In the words of Jonathan Larson, "I don't own, I rent." **

Friday passed quickly. With my next day off, I had planned a day of sightseeing, gooey romance, and lots of cuddling. He seemed to get the drift and followed my lead. We enjoyed the bit of time we had left together. We went to get some lunch, went around a few boutiques, and shamelessly French-kissed in front of the Eiffel Tower. Of course, reality hit us when Annabelle called; I spoke to her for an hour—much to Rosalie's annoyance and Jasper's delight. We stopped at a small coffee shop before heading back to the hotel room. I smiled childishly at my purchases as he held them in the elevator—too gentlemanly for his own good.

"You sure I can't hold one?" I asked with a giggle. He shrugged although he was drowning in my shopping excursion; I could barely see his hand through the explosion of paper and plastic bags. I kissed his cheek and darted down the hall to open the door. He followed in behind me, walking past me to the bedroom where he dropped the bags off in front of my bed. I turned around to shut the door and I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist. Squealing, I kicked the door shut as he picked me up.

He somehow managed to throw me over his shoulder, leaving me breathless and barely able to fight back—not that I would. "Stop," I whined, clawing at his back to get him to put me down, but he ignored me. Upside down, I could make out the changing floors and guessed he was taking me to the bedroom. I saw the door shut behind us before he roughly tossed me down on the bed. I gasped as I bounced slightly on the mattress, but before I could get my head straight, he was hovering over me, his lips trailing down my neck. "Jazz—" I half-argued, half-moaned and he smirked before he continued his path down to my collarbone.

Within the next hour, we had rid ourselves of the sexual tension we had faced all day. Afterward, I lay on my stomach and eyed the ring on my finger as I rest my hand against the pillow. A little over a month ago, I hadn't had this ring. I hadn't even been dating a man and was that where Jasper and I were—dating? I mean an engaged-but-dating couple. We hadn't even spoken about the ring and what it all meant—when were we telling Annabelle? Had he already? He told Rosalie, Vera, Charlotte, and Peter while I told my family, but Annabelle was left for the both of us to tell, right? It seemed only fair.

I felt his fingertips trail down my lower back and curl back up. I looked over at him and concern furrowed his brow as he tucked a lost strand of hair behind my ear. "What is it?" he whispered, his voice husky and irresistible from our previous rendezvous.

"When did you plan on asking me?" I asked abruptly and he froze for a minute before sighing and retracting his hand from my body so not to distract either of us.

"When you left the night you said you loved me," he replied. "In the best circumstances, I wanted to fly to New York and ask for your father's permission, but it didn't work out that way." I smiled at his gentlemanly priorities. Of course he would want my father's blessing before asking. Hell, my father didn't even know he existed until I came home with a ring on my finger. That must have been an interesting conversation he and my father had.

"So you went out and bought a ring on a whim?" I asked with a smirk and he smiled, looking down bashfully.

"Actually, that's my mother's wedding ring," he confessed and my heart stuttered. "In her will, she left me her wedding ring and Rosalie her wedding dress. She was always telling me to settle down—even at eighteen. I think she wanted another daughter," he chuckled once and I reached out to grab his hand reassuringly. "She would have liked you. She would have probably told me to elope to keep you from realizing you deserved better," he said with a smirk and I rolled my eyes, blushing at the compliment.

"I didn't give my mother's ring to Maria," he admitted unexpectedly. "I don't remember what was in my head, but I remember picking up the ring and knowing it wasn't right. I think my mom was in the back of my head telling me I screwed up and I didn't want to hear that everyday." His voice trailed off, quieter with each word as he stared off, reminiscing. I stayed patient, waiting for him to finish.

"I didn't exactly have it all planned out and I didn't think you'd agree to anything, but I went earlier that day looking for rings and none of them fit," he paused, squeezing my hand. "So I thought it wasn't right and I was rushing into things, but when I came back home and found the ring—I don't know, it seemed… _you._" He paused and I stared down at the ring, twirling it around my finger before he panicked. "Don't get me wrong, I would have bought one and I still will if you don't like it, I just—"

I interrupted him with a kiss, leaning over to silence his rambling. "Shh," I hushed him as I pulled back and smiled slightly. "I didn't know you gave me your mother's ring," I said, looking back at the jewelry. "That's romantic." He smiled his dimpled, infectious smile and I turned to lie on my back, curling up beside him and bringing the sheets up over us. He wrapped an arm around me, tucking him against his side. We were silent for a while, just enjoying each other's company and the composition of our breathing patterns before he spoke.

"What are you thinking?" he whispered curiously, his lips brushing over my crown.

"We haven't really talked about any of it," I confessed. "I mean, the wedding—the engagement. I don't really know what it all means—it just hasn't set in yet."

"Well we haven't exactly had time," he said, his hand sliding over mine that rested on his chest. "Talk," he pressed. "I'm here now." I hesitated, not knowing where to begin.

"Have you told Annabelle?" I asked and he sighed, his breath warming my exposed skin.

"I thought it would be better for her and maybe she'd understand a bit better if you were with me," he replied cautiously. Just as I had thought: he was going to wait to tell her. I nodded and I felt him relax a bit. "Plus I didn't know how soon you wanted to get married."

"I want to slow down a little," I said with a smile and he hugged me tighter to his body. "I mean, I'm not regretting any of this, I just thought we could slow down and have a long engagement. I always wanted an autumn wedding…" I mused before changing gears. "When I was with my mom, she begged me to consider her house in the Hamptons as a location."

"Really?" he seemed surprised. He met my mother, why would he be surprised. I laughed a bit at that thought.

"She said she'd pay for everyone to fly over. I'm not sure with Annabelle and long flights and I'm sure now she would understand if we decided against it, but—" I was backtracking now. I hated that.

"Alice, I'll go wherever you take me," he reassured me and I smiled, looking up at him from just beneath my lashes. I pressed a chaste kiss to his bare torso in appreciation before I continued.

"I still don't know when we should get married, I just know not right away. Maybe a year or so?"

"A year," he repeated, mulling it over.

"And that way you have time to back out," I teased and he kissed me on the top of my head.

"Never," he replied simply, sending shivers down my spine. "I don't mind waiting two years," he continued.

"Or three," I added and he shook his head.

"No, three years is too long," he argued to which I giggled and he joined my laughter. I jumped when I heard my phone buzz and I reached over to grab it for fear of it being work-related. It was my mom, of course, and I snuggled back against Jasper as I answered it.

"Hi, mom," I greeted her and she squealed before diving into fresh gossip. She talked of a few neighbors and their rude comments on the house, a new part-time teaching job my father had gotten to keep him busy in retirement, and then of course Jasper.

"Well you know I approved of him the moment I saw that glow on your face, but your father was a bit harder to convince. Still, he is so tall and handsome! I didn't realize you had found such a catch," she gabbed while I blushed, looking up at Jasper to see him smirk. He could hear every word she was saying—great. "Edward was a bit rude, but Bella brings out the best in him—she's such a sweet girl. She had a talk with him, I suppose, and it was like night and day."

"I miss them," I admitted. "I miss you and dad, too. I only have a week left," I said with a newfound excitement bubbling over. Jasper hugged my side and closed his eyes, leaning his cheek against the top of my head and leaving me to talk with my mother as he had for the last fifteen minutes or so.

"Oh, I miss you, too, sweetie," she replied with a sniffle. "Before I let you go, I wanted you and Jasper to discuss this." Oh no… "Now I know you're coming back on Friday and you have a ticket for Sunday, but I was hoping Jasper would want to spend Christmas with us. He can bring his daughter, of course; we would all love to meet her."

"Mom, I think we're trying to sort stuff out," I said, not wanting to get her hopes up.

"I know, Alice," she began. "And if it's too troublesome, then would it be too hard for you to stay until Christmas Eve and then you can fly back to Portland for Christmas Day? I'm sure we'll get the hang of the holidays in the years to come, but I don't want to miss my daughter on Christmas—especially her last Christmas before she's married." I closed my eyes, hating how heartbroken she sounded after realizing her baby girl was moving away.

"I'll let you know."

"Alright, hon, I'll let you go. I love you," she said, still sniffling. My father would have some serious consoling to do once she ended the phone call.

"Love you, too, mom," I said before hanging up the phone and rolling over to put it back on the nightstand. "My mom's in love with you," I spoke casually as I curled back against him. "What did you do?"

"I was polite," he shrugged before he kissed my temple. "What's wrong?" It was odd how he could always read me so easily. He could practically read my soul: knowing when I was upset, guilty, concerned, or if I felt any discomfort. Of course along with that he could make it better in an instant.

"I don't feel like I have a home anymore," I confessed, easily, knowing he would have no judgment. "With Bella and Edward getting married, I feel like my apartment is _their _apartment and I feel odd sleeping at your house because it's an abrupt transition for Annabelle and I don't want to corrupt her childhood or anything—"

I was about to continue my rambling, but his laughter interrupted me. "Corrupt?" he questioned and I nodded, furrowing my brow. Why was he laughing? This wasn't funny. "Annabelle would love it. Every time you'd come over, she kept begging me to ask you to stay for a slumber party," he said with another chuckle. I smirked a bit, remembering how excited she had been when I would give her a manicure or pedicure or even the large fort in her bedroom. She had wanted me to read her a story and stay until she fell asleep…

"I'm not asking you to sleep with me. You can sleep in the guest room until she adjusts or you can get an apartment if you want to be more independent," he offered, his hand sliding down my side to squeeze my hip. I squirmed and he chuckled lowly. "That can't be it, something's bothering you."

I hesitated, not knowing if I should really bring this up now, but I did. He would have to hear of my mother's invitation eventually. "Christmas," I grumbled bitterly.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year," he sang and I smirked, pulling away from him to meet his gaze, propping my head up on my hand.

"I don't know where to go," I complained and he pouted, nodding for me to continue. "I can stay in New York or I can go see you and Annabelle, Vera, Henry, Charlotte, Peter—or I can spend one of my last Christmases with Edward, Bella, and my parents."

"Do what feels best," he advised and I groaned at the open air that left for me to define. "Darling, I can't make the decision for you. I wish I could, but—"

"Just tell me what to do," I whined childishly and he chuckled.

"I can tell you that my cooking is terrible so your stomach will have nothing to look forward to," I giggled as he quickly moved to tickle my sides. "And on Christmas Eve we go caroling," he said with a smirk, taking his hands away from my abdomen. I smiled sadly, remembering my mother's tone—god, she always tugged at my heartstrings.

"My mom wants to have you and Annabelle over for Christmas or she wants me to stay for Christmas Eve," I said quietly and the tension seeped back into the room. "I don't know if I can back out of it, but obviously I don't want to pull you away from your plans—"

"What about New Year's?" he interrupted me.

"What do you mean?"

"I have you for Christmas and we fly to New York for New Year's," he elaborated. "That way your family still sees you for the holidays." I thought about it for a minute. Would my mom compromise? She didn't exactly have a choice, but I suppose she would. I'm sure they would miss me on Christmas and I would miss them. Then only a few days later, we could all go to the Hamptons for New Years, sit on the beach for fireworks; Annabelle would love the beach…

"I see the gears turning," he teased, flicking my temple lightly. I stuck my tongue out at him and he chuckled. "What do you think?"

"I'll run it by her," I said, nodding. "You're cute when you're genius-y," I added with a giggle.

"Oh really?" he asked with a quirk of his brow. Before I could protest, he pinned me back against the mattress, his lips trailing hot open-mouthed kisses down my neck. I moaned a protest, but that just gave him confidence. "Jazz-purr," I couldn't protest, stopping midway to purr his name as his teeth grazed the hollow of my throat. "I'm so lucky," he muttered against my skin_. I could say the same thing._

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**A/N: You may be wondering: did I just read a whole lot of nothing? And to that I say, "Shame on you!" I wanted this chapter to sort some things out. I was originally going to have it be Friday night into Saturday when Jasper goes home, but at 2,626 words, I thought if I wrote anymore, it would be rushed. That's one of my weaknesses. When I get to a certain word count, everything after it is rushed and doesn't make much sense. So, sorry to anyone who would rather have some plot, but there was some fun stuff in it... right? **

**Thanks for reading, like always. 81 reviews! Whoa! You guys are awesome! As for the poll I took last chapter, most of you want some teenage boarding school drama for my next story. A couple more wanted the Pride and Prejudice and the last few wanted a celebrity thing. The boarding school won by a landslide, of course you all said you loved every idea which makes me blush. **

**So thanks for being awesome and I love you. The end of another long author's note. :o)**


	12. Chapter 12

**WARNING: This skipped a lot. Jasper left Paris and the final week has passed. Alice is now in the Hamptons with her parents. I made it clear in the next few paragraphs, but sometimes I skim fanfics and I don't know if you do the same. So there's a quick key point you need to understand the rest.**

**Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to its rightful owner. **

I woke up in a large king sized memory-foam-mattress bed with brilliant vintage wallpaper and my mother's unique décor. The last few days had passed by in a blur. Demetri and I had brought Jasper to the airport on Friday and soon enough Demetri was saying goodbye to me. My business trip had come to an end and when I contacted my lovely, talented boss, I was assured that I was merely a paid intern just to take over the job of her ill employee and she had no job to offer me when I returned to New York. Under any other circumstances, I would be devastated, but with a family waiting for me in Portland, I was thrilled.

Earlier today, I had landed in New York and my mother had picked me up from the airport to bring me back to her place in the Hamptons. Too exhausted to really converse, I collapsed in the refurbished guest room. She assured me she would bring me to Manhattan to gather my belongings for my flight on Sunday. She also mentioned Edward and Bella would stop by for dinner, but I fell asleep as she continued to gab and here I lay four hours later, awoken by a sickening feeling.

My stomach lurched and I darted into the adjacent bathroom, collapsing in front of the toilet to empty the contents of my stomach. Along with the quick passing week, I had a bad case of food poisoning. Demetri wanted to make my last week in France memorable, so he took me to all the greatest restaurants. I tried escargot and a few unmentionables that had me falling over the toilet.

I felt someone smooth my hair back and vaguely heard my mother speaking in the hallway. I took the tissue from whoever had aided me in my predicament. When I looked up, I saw Edward had been the one to help and I took his extended hand to help me to my feet.

"Is she all right?" my mother burst in from the doorway.

"I told you, it's food poisoning," I grumbled, leaning against Edward, who wrapped an arm around my shoulders to keep me steady in my queasy haze.

"It could be all the traveling," he added. "After dad and I went backpacking around Europe, I was in bed for a week." I remembered that. Maybe it was hereditary; we weren't good travelers. Well if I knew that, I wouldn't have gone to Paris.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, looking up at Edward, who shrugged. "I come home and you have to see me like this," I groaned as my stomach curdled once again. This was hell.

"I ran to the store and got you some ginger ale and crackers," my mother said, hesitantly moving aside as Edward guided me back to the guest room to sit on the bed. "Your father and I both think it isn't wise to be traveling when you are so ill," she continued, sitting on the bed beside me as I tucked my legs under the covers.

"I already have a flight for Sunday," I protested. "I'm going, I'll be fine," I assured them, looking toward Edward, who was standing beside our mother. His face was hard, perhaps he agreed as well knowing he didn't approve of Jasper—yet.

My mother sighed at my stubbornness and looked in her lap before turning her head to her eldest. "Edward, can I speak to Alice privately?" she asked and he nodded once before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. I looked at my mother, confused. Was she trying to get me to stay home for Christmas? She already agreed that New Year's would be a fine compromise. "Honey, you say this is food poisoning, but I'm a bit worried," she began cautiously, her eyes avoiding me and staring at her lap.

"Demetri had me try a bunch of French cuisines last week—ugh, don't make me explain," I grumbled, my stomach going sour at the thought of food.

"Yes, well, your father and I are a bit worried and please don't take this the wrong way," that was never a good start. "But you _are _getting married so soon and well, we love Jasper, but he obviously wasn't careful once before and—"

"Mom…" I trailed off, unsure. She definitely didn't think I was… But maybe she did… Did she think I was—?

"You're my daughter and I have come to terms with you being… sexually active," that's it. I've heard this before and it was the _safe _sex talk. She definitely thought I was…

"You think I'm pregnant?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"I'm thinking it is a possibility that I don't want you to rule out unless you're certain," she amended, finally meeting my gaze.

"Mom, I don't think you need to worry about that," I dismissed. I wasn't pregnant; it was food poisoning. Plus, we were always careful—except a few times in Paris and maybe a few back in Portland—okay, we weren't that careful—but it was too early to tell, right? No, I wasn't pregnant. That would ruin everything. Not only are we getting married so quickly, but we'd also have a child before our wedding? So much for making up with Rosalie…

"I don't want you to be stubborn about this, Alice," she said. "I don't want you to be in denial, I think you should leave it as a possibility and I don't want you traveling this ill regardless of the cause." She stood up and left the room with no other word. I leaned back against the headboard and let out a heavy sigh, struggling to keep some sanity.

I glanced over at the nightstand and absentmindedly picked up my cell phone before instinctively dialing his number. I glanced at the clock: eleven. He'd be putting Annabelle asleep… Still, I didn't care what time it was, I needed to talk to him.

"Hi," he greeted with a heavy sigh, but a perfect ghost of a smile in his voice.

"I'm not sure I can be there Friday," I hadn't realized I had been crying until I heard my voice break and felt my throat constrict. I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the headboard.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" he immediately knew it was bad, whatever it was. "Are you still sick?" he asked. I shuddered, opening my eyes and looking down to see a bit of the invisible bump that may've formed in the last few minutes: nothing except my imagination. Patiently, Jasper waited for me to recollect my thoughts before pressing any more questions.

"Aren't you putting Annabelle to bed?" I changed the subject, pathetically running away from reality.

"She fell asleep on the couch, I already put her in bed," he dismissed and then grunted, knowing he was taken off task. "You didn't call me to ask me about Annabelle. What happened?" I hesitated, knowing I would summarize. I wouldn't tell him about my mom's assumption until I was certain I could rule it out and I was certain—or hopeful.

"I'm still sick and my mom doesn't want me traveling like this," I explained, sniffling a bit, but I could hear him breathe a sigh of relief. I made the right decision in not telling him. He didn't need more stress. With Annabelle and Rosalie constantly on his back—Plus with school and work, I was glad I decided to stay away from the subject. "I'm just frustrated. I mean, I get home to leave right away and now I can't."

"Well I can't blame your mom," he agreed, which hadn't made me feel better. "You shouldn't be traveling when you feel so sick. It's probably all the traveling that's getting to you plus foreign food; I'm shocked it's just hitting you now." I sighed to calm myself, feeling as if every nerve ending was shaking with anticipation and anxiety. My limbs were trembling as if I had a fever and yet I felt freezing. I curled further under the blankets, clutching the phone to my ear. This was definitely food poisoning—I don't think you get hot flashes in pregnancy… Do you?

"I wish I could help," I heard him whine and I sighed, shuddering again as I tried to still my shaking hands. "The fact that your father is a doctor makes me feel a bit better," he tried to lighten the mood and I felt grateful for that, smiling a bit myself. "You could never fake sick when you were little, could you?" he asked, obviously aware of how he was calming me.

"He would let us have a few mental health days, but no, we would never get away with fake outs," I said with a small laugh. "I do _not_ want to be cooped up here," I complained, imagining him smiling as he cleaned up a few misplaced toys that were scattered around his once pristine bachelor pad. Poor Jasper was ruled by a four year old.

"I know," he sympathized. "I have my flight for the day before New Year's Eve. If you are staying there for Christmas—" my groan of protest cut him off and he chuckled. "If you are still not well and staying in New York for Christmas, you can just come back with Annabelle and I on New Year's Day. I want you to be healthy. I have never seen a 'Zombie Alice' and I do not want to during the holidays." I rolled my eyes, imagining myself in Portland under the same health as today. Ugh.

"Yeah, I guess I should get better before I go on another plane," I reluctantly agreed. I grabbed the remote and huddled further under the covers as I maneuvered to turn the television on and flip channels without exposing my arm to the crisp air in the room. "Casablanca's on," I noted with a weak smile and I heard him chuckle his honey-sweet bass laughter warming me up just a bit.

"Well your night is set," he replied. "I have to go, but feel better, Alice." I nodded, not entirely aware that he couldn't exactly see me. "I love you."

"Love you, too," I said easily. It still surprised me when those three words left his prefect lips. Once a huge step, now a mere endearment and given when we ended any phone call. Still, I missed his presence—his smell, his face, his laugh, his hair, his smile, and his warmth… When I hung up and stared at the black and white screen, I absently thought of the night I had left his house, standing on his porch and imagining a life with him. The raven-haired green-eyed baby boy bouncing in my arms as Jasper and I greeted each other with a kiss and Annabelle latched onto my leg.

It would be complicated, but perhaps a pregnancy wouldn't be too horrible. Obviously Rosalie would be furious with me, although I have a feeling it would take a bit more than one conversation to prove to her that I was sticking around. Maybe she would think I would leave another baby for the unfortunate single father. I couldn't imagine leaving him with another child—but Rosalie didn't know that.

Then I imagined my parents' disappointment. Sure, my mother said she approved of Jasper and my father gave us his blessing, but still. Every parent would like their child to be in a steady marriage and commitment before they watch them have children and they become grandparents. My mother was stern on this notion. She wanted me to make sure and to be upfront in the situation. If I were pregnant, then I'd need to go to the doctor, find one in Portland, get the proper vitamins, and make sure I hadn't done anything wrong to upset the baby. She was looking out for me—tough love.

What if I was pregnant? What would Jasper say? Would I tell him when he came to New York or before, so he could change his plans and stay in Oregon if he wanted to. I couldn't imagine him turning the other cheek when I told him I was having his baby, but then again, it would be a stretch for both of us. Jasper would be a father again, supporting another child, a new wife, and I would be moving across the country to not only marry a man I've known for two months, but to become a mother… whoa.

I groaned and jumped up at my stomach lurched and I ran to the bathroom, making it just in time. Staggering to my feet, I took a tissue to wipe my mouth and clean up a bit. I splashed some cold water on my face and the back of my neck to now cool my feverish skin. I jumped when I heard someone clear his throat and I turned to see Edward in the doorway again. He was holding a brown paper bag from the pharmacy.

"There's ginger ale, crackers, and some things to clean up," he offered, putting it on the large counter beside the sink. I nodded, thanking him quietly before an uncomfortable silence fell over us for a minute or so. "I'm sorry I was rude to him," he blurted out. "I apologized to everyone already and I wasn't sure if he told you what I had said to him, but it was rude and uncalled for and I apologize." I looked up in the mirror to see my brother staring back at me with a sincere gaze.

"It's all right," I nodded, turning around to give him a weak, tight hug. He returned the gesture and sighed, relieved that I forgave him.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked, pulling back and I shook my head. "Feel better, little sis. I want to hear about Paris when you're up for it." I nodded eagerly, standing on my toes to kiss his cheek before shutting the bathroom door behind him.

I carefully unpacked the ginger ale and moved aside the crackers, seeing a few shampoos and soaps before laying my eyes on a pregnancy test nestled at the bottom of the bag. Great…

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**Do you think Alice is pregnant or do you think it is food poisoning? By the way, August 17th (which is technically yesterday) was my birthday! I wrote this chapter on my birthday after a three hour nap and lots of junk food. Yeah, that's how I spend my Tuesday nights. Now, I sleep. **

**Thanks for reading, as always. Keep reviewing! We're ten away from 100 reviews! Whoa, that's awesome! Thanks again. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning: Lots of skipping, sorry! You'll like it. XP**

**Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to its rightful owner.**

"I'm thinking white and silver as the theme, but with icy blue accents," I mused, tucking my legs underneath me as I flipped through another bridal magazine. Edward and Bella were sitting across from me on the love seat, completely lost in their own little world, making me feel sick.

Tanya cleared her throat and Bella looked away from Edward quickly, a blush creeping on her cheeks. Carlisle's friends from Denali, Alaska always came down for the holidays. They were the closest we had to cousins being that both my parents were the only children in their family. Tanya, Kate, and Irina along with their parents Carmen and Eleazar all managed to come for Christmas Eve and have stayed ever since. Tanya and Kate were my best friends, sitting on either side of me, while Irina liked to keep to herself and was in the study, reading or writing in a journal.

"I think that's a lovely idea, but then her dress has to be a crisper white, not the ivory in the photo," Kate immediately chimed in and I heard Edward sigh, obviously uninterested in the conversation and frustrated that he was the only one with testosterone in the room.

"What about your wedding, Alice?" Tanya interrupted. I was afraid she would jump in with my business. I told her and Kate about Jasper, naturally, and they all listened to me talk to him on the phone, giggling about how I sounded like an idiot when he'd say something sweet. Having been rejected by Edward when they were teenagers, she was uncomfortable while I planned this wedding, but this was the time I had with them to work things out. I would be in Portland in only a couple of days.

It was the day before New Year's and Jasper would be arriving any minute with Annabelle in tow. I had told Tanya, Irina, and Kate of Jasper's daughter as a warning. I was sure my parents had warned Carmen and Eleazar. They seemed pretty understanding considering the fast-paced relationship we had. Still, I wasn't sure whom I missed more. Not to upset Jasper, I internally settled on Annabelle. I couldn't wait to give her the Christmas present I had gotten in Paris.

"I'm having a long engagement," I said cautiously before looking up at Edward and smirking devilishly. "Besides, I want to torture Eddie as much as possible before I leave." He stuck his tongue out at me and I mirrored his childish gesture.

"You two are ridiculous," Bella said with a giggle. "Alice, you know neither of us care about the little details—"

"A long engagement?" Tanya interrupted Bella and I saw her face drop. She had always been a bit jealous of Tanya and they weren't exactly the best of friends on the few occasions she would visit. "We heard you last night—there is no way you can last with a long engagement."

"With me moving across the country and his daughter, it's a lot to adjust to," I dismissed, but my mind flickered to just a few days ago.

I sat on the edge of the tub, counting the longest three minutes of my life. It would have been a lot more to adjust to if the results read differently. Three tests. All negative. I went to the doctor—not wanting my father to be the one to poke around—and she said I just caught a bug from someone on the plane or maybe from all the traveling after noting the family history. To say I was relieved would be an understatement.

"But it's not about me right now, it's about my sister-in-law," I grinned and she blushed, looking down as Edward tucked her hair behind her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "You always said you liked blue on her, but what _shade_?"

"Alice," Edward ground out in warning and I pouted, seeing Bella's entire heart-shaped face turn a deep crimson. I giggled.

"Fine, tell me later if you're embarrassed," I rolled my eyes before licking my thumb and flipping the page. I grumbled a bit at the gorgeous models and unrealistic features before I looked up at Bella. I wasn't worried about her looking gorgeous in the wedding dress—better than the shapeless models—but I worried about what makeup I would give her, what hairstyle. Bella's eyes widened when she saw my critical gaze. She knew what was coming next.

"Edward, you're done," I waved a hand to shoo him away. "Kate, Tanya, how about we do a makeup and hair test for the bride?" I turned to glance in their direction and they grinned widely in excitement and anticipation. Bella frantically looked at Edward for help, but he knew I would get my way one way or another—that is until I heard a knock at the front door.

"Saved," I heard Bella whisper as I jumped up and ran to the door. I cut off my mother and father, who were in the kitchen—just a room away from the foyer—and opened to door to be greeted with the most wonderful sight.

Jasper held Annabelle in his arms as she sleepily rubbed her eye and yawned, her blonde curled mane fluidly following her every move. Her eyes widened as she noticed me; she reached her arms out for me to hold her. "Alice," her toddler lisp was more adorable in person, not to mention her excitement.

I quickly took her away from Jasper, greedily hugging her tightly. "When did you get so big?" I whined and she giggled. "You're four now, you're practically a grown-up," I continued and I looked up to see Jasper watching us, smiling all the while.

"I can see who you missed more, it's fine," he said, putting his hand over his heart in mock disappointment and agony. I smirked and with Annabelle still in my arms, I leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Come inside," I waved him in and he picked up the bags from the porch, coming inside. As I shut the door and turned around, everyone was there… and I mean _everyone. _Tanya, Kate, Irina, Edward, Bella, my mom, my dad, Carmen, and Eleazar all staring at the man they would nitpick for the few days he was here. "Thanks for giving me a heart attack, everybody," I said with a nervous laugh.

I turned to Jasper and motioned to those I spoke of. "You've met Edward, Bella, and my parents," I began awkwardly, the silence killing me. Could they contain themselves from bombarding him? Apparently not. "This is Carmen and her husband Eleazar and their daughters: Tanya, Irina, and Kate," I continued as he shook hands with everyone. "This is Jasper and his daughter Annabelle, who you've all just scared to death," I said with a giggle and Jasper sighed, taking her back into his arms and whispering in her ear, trying to coax her to say hello, but she buried her face into his neck shyly, not moving.

"Sorry," he apologized, looking around the room, but all the women in the room just gazed longingly at the beautiful child with the same unruly blonde hair as her father; reacting just as I had when I first laid eyes on her.

"She's adorable," my mother beamed and Jasper smiled slightly in a 'thank you'. I nuzzled my head beside hers, trying to coax her out of her bashful state.

"Annabelle, I have a Christmas present for you," I whispered and she shot up, her eyes lighting up and a smile coming back to her face. Jasper rolled his eyes and everyone around us chuckled, breaking the tension in the room.

"Where?" she asked, giddy with excitement.

"I'll show you to the guest room," my father offered as I selfishly took Annabelle from her father's arms to take her into the living room, where the present was.

"Thank you," Jasper replied, picking up his bag, while Edward took the other one. I wanted to tackle my brother for finally trying to get along with him. This was too perfect.

Carmen, Irina, Tanya, Kate, Bella, and my mother all followed me into the living room with Annabelle while Eleazar, Edward, and my father surrounded Jasper. I was a bit nervous of the interrogation he'd face in the next room, but my father and brother already had their chance. Eleazar was harmless and would probably just threaten to kill him if he ever hurt me. Nothing big. I laughed at the thought.

"I saw it in Paris and I thought of you," I began as I sat her down beside the tree on the leather ottoman and pulled out a violet-wrapped package. I sat on the chair in front of her as she tore the wrapping paper off to reveal a box. My mother sat beside me and the rest of the girls gathered around on the various sofas and chairs in the room. I helped her pen the box and she pulled out the doll. Blonde curls to match her own, the doll had a rose-colored pleated skirt and a lace blouse with black Mary Jane's. I waited with bated breath for a reaction.

"She's so pretty!" she gasped and I smiled, immediately relieved. "Thank you, Alice!" her adorable lisp shone through and her fingers ran over the painted blush on the doll's cheeks, the lace shirt, and the different fabrics. I was a great influence on her. From when we sketched different designs to her now fabric-discovery… she was too cute.

"Such polite manners," my mother whispered behind me and I immediately knew what she really wanted.

"Annabelle," I called and she looked up. I picked her up into my lap and turned to face my mom while the young girl still clutched her new gift. "This is my mom, can you say hello for me?" she looked up to see my mom and then back to me with a nervous gaze before looking back to my mother.

"Nice to meet you," she said politely, holding out a hand and my mother gasped, smiling widely and shaking her hand. I smirked; Jasper taught her well. I kissed her cheek and she giggled as I tickled her sides.

"Well I know where she gets the manners from," Kate sighed from behind me and I glanced over to roll my eyes. "What? He's cute, plus he makes adorable children. I approve," she announced. Thankfully Annabelle was too giggly to listen to the conversation.

"I agree. I wasn't sure when you were on the phone with him, but after seeing the adorable baby," Tanya chimed in and I continued to tickle Annabelle as peels of her laughter echoed in the high-ceiling living room. I stopped when I knew it was safe and she tried to regain her breath, still clutching her doll close to her.

"I have to keep making dinner," Carmen excused herself out of the room. I wasn't sure when Bella had excused herself, but she was no longer sitting with us. Annabelle hummed aimlessly, admiring her new toy. I wanted to check and make sure Jasper was all right with the men interrogation in the next room, so I decided to keep Annabelle a bit busy for a minute or two.

"Do you want to watch some cartoons?" I asked and she nodded eagerly. I picked her up and sat her on the empty couch, turning on her favorite cartoon and turning up the volume a bit. "I'll be right back, okay?" I said, but she was too consumed to notice that I spoke. I went over to my mother and asked her to make sure Annabelle was all right while I checked on Jasper. I knew better that when Annabelle was watching television, she would be oblivious to the outside world. I would come back minutes later and she wouldn't know that I had left.

I padded down the hallway to the third guest room door—the beauty of my mother renovating the home; there were tons of extra bedrooms. Knocking on the door, I slowly opened it a crack and saw that only Jasper, Bella, and Edward were in the room and they were—laughing. It was night and day with Edward and his mood swings.

Jasper looked over from putting clothes in the dresser as he heard the door creak and smiled as he saw me. "Hi," he greeted and I walked over to his side. He hugged me against him and kissed my temple.

"What's with all the laughing?" I said as I looked over at Bella, who was still giggling. Jasper smirked and Edward tried to cover another laugh with a cough. "Fine, don't tell me," I stuck my tongue out at them and Edward mirrored the same act as he did earlier today.

"It's one of those 'had to be there' moments," Bella explained, a blush on her cheeks and I huffed in protest, but no one would budge. "I'm going to help Carmen with dinner," she excused herself and Edward followed her, shutting the door behind him.

"Where's Annabelle?" he asked.

"I left her watching cartoons. My mother is keeping an eye on her," I said as he continued putting things into the dresser. "I thought you were being interrogated again, but I guess not." I said, hopping up on the bed and leaning back so my back was against the bed and my gaze on the ceiling; he chuckled.

"No, Eleazar had a few words with me, but that was it," I figured that. I heard the dresser drawer close and felt his hand on mine, pulling me to sit upright. "I haven't had a proper hello," he whispered, his lips an inch from mine. His forehead rested against mine, his spearmint breath warming my face. I closed my eyes and felt his arms snake around my waist before our lips met in a passionate kiss, innocently regaining every moment we had without one another. I felt my body melt at his touch and too soon, he pulled back.

"Hi," I murmured, pursing my lips and leaning in for another kiss, but he pulled away. I grunted and he smiled, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone.

"Let's not get carried away when there are ten other people in the house," he warned, pulling me into a comforting embrace. "I missed you," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. I moaned a reply, nuzzling my face in his chest and breathing in.

"When are we telling her?" I whispered, not entirely aware that that had been on my mind. Telling Annabelle that we were getting married would just be another step, but Jasper's hesitation and the silence weren't too reassuring. We've conquered worse battles; I didn't see the problem.

"Tonight, if you'd like," he said, but his voice was strained. Something was wrong. I pulled back and looked up, meeting his gaze.

"If you don't want to tell her tonight, it's okay. I can see if it's a lot for her to take in: meeting all these people, learning we're getting married, and…" my voice trailed off as he broke our gaze and I took his hand in mine, squeezing it gently. "What's wrong?"

"I have never introduced a woman to her before," he began. "And I know you _said _yes, but once we tell my daughter—I'm sounding like my sister," he said, shaking his head. What was he trying to say? If I put Rosalie here now, she would be telling me to leave before I did anymore damage. Surely he wouldn't want that. "Let me phrase it differently: once we tell Annabelle, she won't understand if you back out," he settled on, meeting my gaze again. _Oh. _

"Why are you so certain I'll run away?" I asked with a smile before I stood on my toes, waiting for a kiss. He chuckled, our height difference making a simple kiss into an ordeal. He leaned down, scooping me into his arms and standing me on his toes before craning his neck and capturing my lips with his own.

The dizzying feeling from before suddenly returned and I was struggling to stay conscious. He knew all too well what he does to me and how I become putty in his arms and from the smirk that met his lips; I knew he was aware of it now as well. My tongue darted to trace his lower lip and he graciously granted me a deeper kiss. I trembled as his arms tightened around me and too soon—although every kiss was never long enough—he pulled back.

"Because you're too perfect, honey," he replied simply, nuzzling his nose in my neck. "And I don't deserve you, darling," he added, pecking my cheek. I practically moaned at his husky voice melting me away. I felt utterly empty as he untangled himself from my arms and stood at the door, opening it for me. "After you, babe." _Honey-baby-darling.

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**-dramatic music- SHE'S NOT PREGNANT! Woo, all of you can cheer. Most of you said you didn't want her to be, which made me relieved because I hadn't planned for her to be. I thought I'd just add in the scare seeing as they weren't safe when I wrote that lemon. **

**Anyway, I died of cuteness writing this. Hopefully you died of cuteness reading it, but someone brought you back to life so you can read the next chapter! I'm thinking two chapters left (New Year's and then an Epilogue). Then of course, the out takes of Jasper meeting Carlisle and Esme for the first time and what else do you want to read in Jasper's point of view? Leave it in a review.**

**The doll Alice gave Annabelle is on the author page now. Thanks for 100+ reviews! You guys are AWESOME! I was out and checked my e-mail and realized I hit 100 reviews and I flipped out. Thanks for reading! Love you guys! **

**OH! And thanks for the birthday wishes, Cowboy'sMontana, darex2xdream, xMissCullenx, purpleriverah29, deltagirl74, and CandyHardyCenaHale! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to its rightful owner.**

We hadn't told Annabelle last night. When we stepped out into the living room, I found my mother tucking a pillow under the young girl's head, as she was already fast asleep. She was all tuckered out after a four and a half hour flight and I couldn't blame her; I could see the fatigue in Jasper's eyes, too.

Jasper tucked her into bed and then dinner was ready. It was painless meal; Eleazar was asking Jasper about his dream of becoming a history professor. Tanya and Kate were just interested in hearing him speak, sighing quietly to themselves when he would laugh or how his voice changed when he mentioned Annabelle or me. Carmen asked about his family and he quickly passed over his parents' death, talking about Rosalie and Emmett and his friends—Peter, Charlotte, and even Vera—who helped raise Annabelle.

He offered to help clean up after dinner, immediately winning my mother over—as if he hadn't already—but she declined. We gathered in the living room to talk a bit more before I could really see him fighting his heavy eyelids. I excused him—knowing he wouldn't excuse himself—and followed him to the bedroom where Annabelle was already asleep. There were two beds in this room, the larger one Annabelle insisted on taking and Jasper was left with the smaller. We kissed goodnight and soon everyone was heading to bed.

The next day began with Annabelle—as always. She was the first to get up and although Jasper tried to keep her in the room and quiet her down, my room was right next-door and I heard his incoherent pleading bass through the wall before I got up and headed over. As soon as I released her out of the room, everyone started to get up. I had a feeling everyone would have trouble making it to midnight on New Year's after this early morning wakeup call.

Later in the day, we sat around the living room, all having our own conversations. Eleazar and Carmen were together on the couch, my parents were cleaning up from breakfast, Irina was taking a shower in the next room, Tanya and Kate were flipping through bridal magazines, Edward and Bella were on the far end of the room—completely lost in each other's company, as always—Jasper and I were curled up watching Annabelle socialize. Annabelle opened up to everyone now: a complete transition from yesterday's bashful interlude. She was talking to Tanya and Kate, Carmen and Eleazar, and then she took to Edward all too well.

She wandered over and tugged at his pant leg. When he looked down, she held her arms out for him to pick her up and I glanced at Jasper, who was watching the scene all too intently. No words were exchanged between the two, but Edward bent down to pick her up into his lap and Annabelle faced Bella before jumping into a conversation. Too amused by Edward's expression, I didn't even hear Annabelle, but Bella's face lit up and she immediately interacted with the toddler. Esme came up behind me, putting a hand on Jasper's shoulder and leaning down.

"She's so cute," she gabbed with a smile.

"You should have seen her when she was younger. She founded the stereotype of 'terrible twos,'" he said with a smile.

"I surely doubt that," my mother continued, taking the chair next to Jasper to keep the conversation. I rolled my eyes at his dramatic comment, still smirking at Edward's expression. He was a bit dazed—children never took to him well, he was too stiff and uptight and here Annabelle was, going over to him to sit in his lap and acting as if nothing was wrong with that.

"She has such polite manners and she is so well behaved," my mother continued; I turned my attention to Annabelle as Bella taught her a hand game with an old nursery rhyme. "She had quite the father to teach her all that," my mom continued to embarrass Jasper, but he needed the compliment. It was true. He was such an amazing father to have done it by himself. Yes, he had help, but he could have turned away and he didn't. I felt Jasper lace his fingers with mine and give my hand a tight squeeze.

"I can't take all the credit for that," Jasper was too modest. I turned my attention away from Bella and Annabelle, kissing Jasper's cheek. With a smile, he turned to me and asked, "What was that for?" I shrugged and squeezed his hand, turning back to my mom to reply to her last comment.

"Now you know why I missed her more than I missed him," I said with a smirk and Jasper rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically.

"I knew it," he sniffled and I stood from the couch, leaning over to give him a quick peck on the lips before taking his empty coffee mug out of his hands and bringing it into the kitchen with my own.

As I washed the mugs in the sink, I heard footsteps shuffle into the kitchen and turned around to see Kate and Tanya with beaming faces. I rolled my eyes, turning my attention back to the sink. "What?" I asked with a growing grin. I hadn't spoke to them since last night, but nothing about Jasper, despite their comments on his adorable daughter.

"I'm in love," Tanya skipped over to my side, sitting up on the counter. I laughed aloud at that comment as Kate swatted her arm. "Still, there has to be something up. I mean, he's a great dad, good-looking, he has goals, a home, a tight knit family—where's his flaw?" I shrugged, blushing at all the compliments she was giving him. It was true, there wasn't much wrong despite his daughter, but she certainly wasn't _wrong_.

"Let me see the ring again," Kate giggled, reaching her hand out as I dried the two cups. I sighed, pausing my drying to hold out my left hand and they gathered around, bumping heads as they studied the ring. I shifted nervously, glancing at the doorway to see my mother still talking to him.

"It was his mother's ring," I muttered, still watching as Jasper smiled fondly at whatever they were talking about. I heard two gasps and looked up to see my friends, both googly eyed as if they just watched another sappy romance flick. "Um…"

"That's so romantic," they exclaimed simultaneously and I hushed them, smacking each with a dishtowel and taking my left hand away as I put the dry mug in the cabinet. My cheeks flushed and I knew Jasper must have heard that, but soon didn't care when I heard Annabelle whine in the next room. I immediately went back into the room as I saw she had wandered in front of Jasper and he had leaned down to pick her up, standing her in his lap.

"What's wrong, baby girl?" he asked, nuzzling his nose with hers. Her incoherent whines were too far away to understand. "I can't hear you with all the whining and mumbling, doll," even when she was fussy, he still had a stern handle on getting her to stop whining. I remembered when she had come out of her bedroom one night while Jasper and I were talking in the kitchen. I thought we had been too loud and immediately felt sorry for her, but Jasper knew better. She had heard us talking and wanted to stay up to be the center of attention. Cute as it was, Jasper refused to let her stay up and tucked her back into bed. He was never angry or threatening, always stern and yet he'd sprinkle an endearing nickname or two: darling, baby girl, beautiful, doll, etc.

He held her against him with one arm and stood up, turning to Esme to excuse himself and then his eyes met mine in the doorway. I gave him a questioning stare, wondering if I should follow him when he put her down for a nap. He nodded as he walked past me and I quickly followed by his side. Annabelle was reaching toward me now, knowing exactly where she was heading and trying to get me to get her out of a nap, but she stayed in Jasper's arms.

I shut the door behind us as we went into their guest bedroom. Jasper settled into the bed alongside her, brushing her hair away from her face and I hesitated in the doorway. Why had he wanted me to come? Was this it? Were we going to tell her? She was a little fussy, but then again, she seemed much calmer without an audience. In the quiet room we could perhaps explain a bit better. As if reading my mind, Jasper met my gaze and motioned for me to sit on the other side of her.

"Honey," Jasper spoke quietly, but immediately caught her attention. She was suddenly calmer, a bit sleepy, but not enough that she wouldn't be able to comprehend the conversation. As I sat next to her, leaning my back against the headboard, she stared up at her father waiting for his next words. "You like Alice, right?" he began slowly and she nodded, glancing over at me. I gave her a hesitant, but sincere smile and she giggled. I brushed my hand over her hair, pushing it back over her shoulders.

"Yeah," she agreed, turning back to her father and I looked back up at him, locking his gaze. It was unsure, questioning, and yet still waiting for me to tell him no, to stop him and tell him not to bother. He was still so set on the notion that I would back out of the relationship. I reached out a hand and held his. In our silence, Annabelle played with our joined hands, lifting each finger and placing it back where it had been.

"Well, Alice and I love each other," he continued and I wondered what was bubbling in her head. Did she even understand love? I mean, fairy tales didn't even mention love, just a 'happily ever after'. She knew she had to say it to her dad and her aunt, but that wouldn't get the message across.

"And we are going to get married," he murmured, now looking down to meet his daughter's gaze. I held my breath as she faced her father and I couldn't make out her reaction. Did she hate me now? Did she even understand? What if she disapproved? What if she didn't want me to be like her mother? "And she's going to come live with us,"

he continued, trying to make it sound a bit easer to comprehend.

"And sleep over?" she asked, her face scrunching up in confusion. It was a hard thing for a four year old to grasp, but we were patient—or Jasper was patient and I was anxious to hear her approve. Jasper nodded slowly, running his fingers through his daughter's perfect golden curls.

"She'll be your mommy," he continued. I felt mixed on this subject. On the one hand, I felt as if Jasper trusted me. He hadn't said _new _mother, he said mother, but in that same instance, Annabelle hadn't had a mother before. So far I had been a friend to Annabelle. I was a bit worried about motherhood. Would I be the pushover parent? Would I be a horrible mother? Maybe Jasper would help me adjust. He was now intently studying her face, her reaction; Annabelle glanced at me, her eyes frantic before she looked back at her dad. She scrambled to her feet to better meet his eye level, stumbling on the unsteady surface of the bed.

"But you'll still be my daddy?" she asked quickly and Jasper smiled, wrapping his arms around her and tucking her in his lap.

"Always," he soothed, kissing her temple and Annabelle immediately relaxed. Jasper seemed to have that effect on everyone. No matter who it was, he could calm anyone just by a simple gesture. I watched them intently, still unsure if I should go and let them have a moment or stay and risk interrupting any other questions Annabelle may have. "And you'll still have Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett, Charlotte, Peter, and Vera," he continued and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "Alice will just be there, too."

I felt as if I were interrupting the moment they needed to have together, but perhaps it was a bit easier for her to comprehend with me around. Still, with her eyes locked on her father, I was playing the bystander, just waiting for someone to tell me what to do or say, but never taking the initiative.

"Wouldn't you like to have a daddy and mommy?" Jasper whispered and Annabelle thought for a minute or so, her eyes meeting mine. She immediately smiled and nodded, allowing me to release a breath of relief. Every time she looked at me, she seemed to smile and relax. That was encouraging, although her next question was heartbreaking.

"What do mommies do?" she asked and I looked up at Jasper hesitantly before meeting Annabelle's curious wide emerald eyes.

"Well, mommies do all sorts of things," I began slowly, not exactly knowing how to fully answer the question. "We can play games, tell each other secrets," and Jasper tickled her sides immediately breaking the tension. She giggled and struggled to swat him away; I laughed with her. "I can read you a bedtime story and tuck you in at night. All the stuff your daddy does, but I'm cooler and a lot more fun," I teased and Jasper rolled his eyes. Annabelle let out a leftover giggle before crawling out of Jasper's grip and standing next to me.

"Do mommies make forts?" she asked and I nodded. "Do mommies—do they play dress-up and makeover?" I smiled wider than ever, nodding eagerly. Jasper chuckled at my reaction as his hand soothingly rested on her back. She seemed to really be mulling this over, the cogs turning in that petite head of hers. I longed to get a glimpse inside, but knew to give her a bit more time. She turned to look at her father, his thumb tracing circles on her spine.

"What do you think, kiddo?" Her expression was now facing him and I was left to hold my breath waiting for his face to light up or her reaction to finally come forth. "Hmm? Would you like if Alice was your mommy?" he continued to press, brushing her hair away from her face and lovingly brushing her plump rosy cheeks. I saw her blonde curls bouncing as she nodded and I let out a sigh of relief. Jasper glanced over at me with a smile as Annabelle sat in his lap.

"Do I still have to take a nap?" she pouted and I smiled. Jasper looked at me for my answer. Huh, motherhood 101. All right, let's try this out.

"Do you want to see the fireworks tonight?" I asked and she nodded eagerly, her face lighting up in excitement. Fireworks on the beach—no matter how illegal it was, I knew it would be a great place to go. Plus we were supposed to get snow tonight. "Then you need to take your nap. You'll be too tired if you don't and you'll miss the whole thing!" she frowned and looked toward Jasper, who nodded in agreement. She grumbled and Jasper scooped her up, pulling down the sheets and slipping her under the covers.

She still wore her pout and so Jasper leaned over to tickle her. Her musical soprano giggles filled the room and I smiled, hopping up off the bed. As Jasper released her, her giggles disappeared and she panted, out of breath from the excitement. "Sleep," he ordered, kissing her forehead. I smiled and he walked around the bed to tuck an arm around my waist to lead me out of the room. As he shut the lights off, Annabelle cried out in protest. He turned the lights back on and we both looked back, but she had her hands out for me.

"Alice didn't kiss me night," her lisp had her struggling a bit more in her sleepy stupor. My heart lunged to the little girl as I went over to her side and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Annabelle," I murmured, tucking her hair behind her ear before standing up and going back to the door.

As Jasper shut the lights off and I stepped into the hallway, I could finally breathe again. My constricted chest was finally released from its chains. Before I could realize what I was doing, I was clinging to Jasper so tightly I felt as if my arms could fall off. He hesitated at first before returning the embrace, lifting me onto his feet to raise me up and burying his face in my neck as he held me just as tight. We didn't utter a word, but both of us needed the contact. In a burst of adoration, devotion, and pure unadulterated love, I needed the contact to prove that he was real, that this was real, that my future was set and a loving husband and child were in the forefront.

"Alice!" My mother's voice broke me from the sweet romance sanctuary I had created in the hallway. We broke away immediately and I looked over to see her at the end of the hallway, her harsh whisper too quiet to disrupt Annabelle, but I was still frustrated. Taking Jasper's hand, I watched as my mother waved for us to take her lead. I followed my mother into the foyer where a large brown box lay. I glanced over to see Tanya, Kate, Carmen, and Bella gather around in the doorway, curious as to what was in the box.

I let go of Jasper's hand as my mom handed me a card. It was from Demetri. Inside the envelope was a handwritten letter on hotel stationary. I grinned and Jasper glanced over my shoulder as I skimmed over his perfect cursive.

_Alice,_

_I know you said you didn't want to buy this on a whim, but I couldn't bear to let you leave Paris without it. _

_- Demetri_

If I were sane, I would have asked everyone to leave the room. We had gone lingerie shopping in Paris; did he send me a few I had felt uncomfortable with? However, my mind was blank as I tore open the box. I gasped as I saw the bit of white fabric peeking out from the cardboard. _My dress!_

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**A/N: Don't cry! It's not over! There's still an epilogue, but I NEED _YOUR_ HELP! If you want to have a say in what the epilogue will be, leave a review with one of these choices: one year later, three years later, or fifteen years later. ****Either way, the wedding (one year later) will be an outtake along with Jasper's time with Alice's family in the Hamptons before he goes to see her in Paris. This story isn't over yet, I still have some outtakes and deleted scenes, so don't worry!**

**Love you all for reading, thank you so much! 112 reviews, how awesome is that! Thank you all!**


	15. Epilogue

**A/N: Jasper's point of view. Seven years later.**

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to its rightful owner.**

**EPILOGUE**

**Seven Years Later**

"Dad, that's embarrassing," Annabelle grumbled, folding her arms over her chest and staring out the car window. I rolled my eyes. Wasn't this supposed to happen when she was a teenager? She was eleven, already past the age of daddy's little girl—or so she thought. It still bothered me that she was already past the birds and the bees' talk. She knew where babies came from; she knew Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny were all fabricated. Yes, definitely past daddy's little girl. Although, she still curled up to me after a nightmare, something she still never went to Alice for. Of course I would come home and see them sprawled out with make-up, costume jewelry, and nail polish, frolicking around while watching a classic chick flick. I was thankful I had Alice—I don't think I'd be able to help my daughter in that department.

We were driving to the airport to pick up Edward, Bella, and their new one-year-old addition, Sam. Their five-year-old, Jacob, wouldn't join us this time around. They were a little worried that he wouldn't handle the flight well and so for five days, he would stay at Carlisle and Esme's humble abode. From the pictures I had seen in e-mails, Sam was the spitting image of his father. Alice grew a bit uneasy after her nephew's birth. I knew she wanted a child of her own and we had tried—for the past seven years we've tried, but nothing seemed to work. The doctor had no explanations and so she settled on trying to convince me that Annabelle was enough and she was happy. But she was never _really _happy and who could blame her. Annabelle wasn't _her _daughter and Maria made that clear.

A year after Alice and I got married, Maria came back into the picture. She knocked on the door and handed me a letter that gave me divorce papers and a court date—thus began the custody battle. I didn't have the money to fight, but I knew Annabelle didn't need the toxic environment. Begrudgingly, I took the financial aid offered by Alice's parents and hired a decent lawyer and, long story short, I was granted full custody. Come to find out, Maria had been involved in a handful of illegal misdemeanors that were severe enough to label her as an unfit mother. She couldn't even have supervised visitations. She'd fight again, but for now, Annabelle remained untouched. But I digress…

Back to the Cullen family: Alice had gone to visit New York when Sam was first born, but Annabelle and I stayed behind. She caught the flu; I had work I couldn't get out of, blah, blah. Speaking of work, I had finally gotten a job at a small liberal arts college as a history professor. Thanks to the flexibility of the college, I was able to make my own seminar based around my favorite subject: the Civil War.

Unfortunately Alice's work dreams hadn't worked out. Instead of owning her own shop, she began a recent business with Demetri. The two began an event planning business on opposite coasts. Only a year old, they had already attracted quite a bit of business from all of Demetri's contacts. Alice was ecstatic, which was refreshing to see. Of course there was a bit of a down turn when she caught the stomach virus just three days ago—first Annabelle got it at school and now Alice seemed to have caught it. Cooped up in bed, Alice was too sick to get up. She was bummed that she was sick just when she had company coming, but they couldn't switch flights. Thankfully Vera was able to take her to the doctor today; I hated that I couldn't, but I knew I had to get her brother and family from the airport. And so I sat in the driver's seat biding my time by apparently _embarrassing _the girl whose diapers I changed just a couple years ago.

"Did Alice make you that dress?" I asked, changing the subject as I noticed her pink dress. I remembered Alice staying up all night sketching that same dress just a month ago. She would always make clothes for Annabelle, ever since she was four years old.

"Duh," Annabelle rolled her eyes and I decided to shut my mouth for the rest of the ride. Her attitude was annoying, but I wasn't in the mood to be the bad guy, so I let it slide—for now. Pulling into a parking space, I hopped out of the car and—with Annabelle at my side—I went into the airport by baggage claim. She still seemed a bit moody, so I decided to bother her with a puff of air at her ear. Leaning down to her level, I met her gaze and she sighed, ready to confess.

"They're going to say 'look at how much you've grown!' or 'you've gotten so big!' or something. I hate when people baby me," she grumbled with a pout.

"There will be another baby around. No one is going to treat an eleven-year-old like a kid. I don't know what gave you that impression," I teased and she stuck her tongue out at me, crossing her arms and stomping her foot once. One stern glance from me and she stopped a tantrum midstride. Good.

In just ten minutes, Edward emerged with Bella in tow, cradling their baby boy. "Look at how much you've grown!" Bella exclaimed when she saw Annabelle, who threw me a knowing glance. I smirked a bit: she was right, but so what? She had gotten old fast… stay young.

Hugs were exchanged before Edward and I grabbed their luggage—one suitcase for the parents and two others for the baby because Bella claimed there's no such thing as over-packing for him—and Bella, Annabelle, and Sam waited until I brought the car around. The girls sat in the back seat, cooing over Sam, who had just woken from his nap. Edward stayed silent in the passenger seat for a while before he finally spoke.

"How is she?" he asked, the overprotective brother shining through. I hadn't seen Edward since our wedding. I knew he missed Alice, although she had seen him a bit more recently.

"She's been sick for the past couple of days," I said honestly. "Annabelle came home with the stomach flu and Alice caught it. I think she'll be better in another day or two," that was a bit too hopeful. Three days of nausea and Annabelle had had seven. I hoped she was better in a day or so… Edward nodded, thinking for a minute or two to his own self. "She's really upset that she can't get out of bed especially with Sam coming," I said with a reminiscent smile. "Hopefully she came home from the doctor and is napping like I told her to, but I doubt it."

Edward laughed a bit at that and the rest of our conversation was brief. Small talk continued, while we'd pause to listen to Bella and Annabelle gab in the back, mewling at Sam, who just cooed and gurgled. I stopped at the pharmacy when Bella told me she forgot to pack a dire necessity: chocolate. Good old hormonal women needing their chocolate fix. Annabelle followed her into the local store and I decided against calling Alice. Ideally, she took my advice and went back to bed, but I doubt she was sleeping.

Finally pulling into the driveway, Edward and I were, again, left to take the bags while Bella, Annabelle, and now fussy Sam walked into the house. I passed the bedroom, which was empty and untouched. Alice was still out… Hmm…

I led Edward to the guest room, placing the bags on the floor. It was a regular sized bedroom and I had managed to find the old crib I had from when Annabelle was younger, placing it in the far corner of the room. Alice had hoped to make the guest room a baby room, but that had yet to—

"How are you both doing?" Edward asked, creating a bit of small talk once again.

"Good," I answered a bit too quickly. But we hadn't been good. From Alice being busy with her new business to her getting sick, I had barely seen or spoke to her. She was embarrassed of how she looked in the ill state she suffered. Yes, it was ridiculous, but Alice kept the lights off when I would come in the bedroom, the covers kept over her head, mumbling against the down comforter for crackers or more ginger ale. I had been sleeping on the couch for the past few nights to give her a bit of space, I wanted out so I wouldn't catch whatever it was; two parents sick wouldn't go over well for Annabelle. I would try to help her when she ran to the bathroom, but she would lock the door and make a big unnecessary fuss.

"That good, huh?" Edward asked, sitting at the end of the bed and turning a suitcase toward him as he searched for something within the bag.

"I—it's hard," I settled on and Edward looked up, obviously annoyed at my short answers. "With Annabelle's mother coming back into the picture, Annabelle growing up, school ending, her missing you, moving her here, and then my new job, her new business, now she's sick: it's been a rough couple of years. Plus now I'm the embarrassing dad, when did that happen?" I complained, sounding like a whiny child, but I didn't care. Edward laughed; I had succeeded on lightening the mood. "I wonder if she'll react well to Sam," I mused quietly, not really intending for Edward to hear.

"Why wouldn't she?" Edward asked, immediately defensive. Whoops. Edward and I were on good terms, but we were still a bit awkwardly dealing with one another. I married his sister, we were both protective over a woman we loved—in different ways—and we butted heads quite a bit. Now being one of those times.

"She wants kids," I explained and recognition dawned on Edward's face before he kept silent to let me finish. "We've been trying, but she's lost hope and I feel like that's another grand thing to add to the tension," I said with a cynical smile. Edward frowned, obviously contemplating how to react to the news.

"Well I can't say I'm not surprised," he began, finally finding the crocheted baby blue blanket for Sam in the suitcase before zipping it up. "She is my mother's daughter, she always said she was born to be a mother and that would explain her behavior last time she visited. She was a bit harsh in the small talk department. We thought she was just tired, but I guess envy—for lack of a better word—explains it."

"She's been bottling it up," I noted, looking down. "I should've talked to her about it rather than just sweeping it under the rug," I continued, now feeling guilty. Had inviting Edward and Bella here been a good idea? Why had Alice done it if she obviously put herself through pain when she saw such a happy family in front of her? Mother, father, and child, not father, daughter, and stepmother. Annabelle certainly didn't see Alice that way, but I'm sure Alice did.

Edward clasped a comforting hand on my shoulder before he and I walked into the kitchen to see Bella getting ready to feed Sam.

"Need help?" Edward asked, taking his hand off my shoulder to aid his wife. Bella seemed grateful, handing Sam over to him as she shook the bottle of formula and placed it in the microwave. Edward stood next to Annabelle; Edward leaned down so her curious eyes could get a better glimpse. Sam fussed, reaching his arms up and kicking in his blanket. "You'll get food soon, little guy," he promised.

Bella came back over with the bottle, testing it on the back of her hand. Edward offered to take the bottle and settled on feeding him to relieve her from holding him again, which she had probably done for six hours on the flight over here. Sam pushed the bottle away and Edward maneuvered his son carefully so he could gently rub and tap his back, burping him.

"Can I hold him?" Annabelle asked, bouncing up and down. Well her mood has changed. I handed Sam carefully back in his mother's arms before looking toward the hallway.

"Let Edward finish feeding him and then you can hold him," Bella said with a smile. Her warmth reminded me a bit of Esme. She was born to be a mother. Her awkwardness had faded with the new life she protected and it was replaced with an unmistakable grace. I remembered Edward's comment from earlier and wondered how much of an impact this had brought on Alice.

Perhaps she thought she was running out of time. Her brother had a family and she did too, but it wasn't exactly her own. Annabelle and Alice were best friends, telling each other secrets, gossiping, giggling, and indulging in feminine pleasures: chocolate, shopping, and sappy _Lifetime_ movies. Still, Alice must have felt a barrier, especially when Maria had come back into the picture.

My gaze immediately snapped to the doorway when I heard the front door open. "Jazz?" Alice asked, her voice shaking with an unidentifiable emotion. Was she hurt? Was it a virus or something more? Had the doctor asked for a follow-up?

I immediately went toward her voice, but she met me in the foyer, throwing her arms around my neck and launching up to bury her face in my neck, knocking me back. Hesitantly, I returned the embrace, wrapping my arms around her waist; now not knowing it this was good news or bad news. Was she hugging me because she was upset or—She was shaking? Oh no, she was crying. Or radiating happiness… She squeezed tighter, lifting her feet off the ground.

Pulling back just an inch, Alice pressed her lips to mine in an urgent elated kiss. I struggled to grasp what was going on. She broke the kiss and threaded her fingers in my hair, tugging gently, a grin so large it looked almost painful. Had she not been sick just a few hours ago? She leaned her forehead against mine and looked lovingly into my eyes, her liquid hazel-topaz eyes boring into my soul as they had on so many occasions.

"You're going to hate it," she began and I remained dumbfounded, too consumed in her happiness to question it. "But you'll have a total of three women running your household in another six months," she continued, her voice shaking with excitement. Three women? Six months…

"You're—" I began, still numb from her euphoria. She nodded as my voice trailed off. A second went by before our lips met again and she clung to me, never seeming to loosen her grip. Hearing the commotion, I heard Bella clear her throat and realized she had entered the room. We pulled away from our embrace.

"Where's Annabelle?" Alice squealed, going into the kitchen. I heard Annabelle yelp and giggle, following their laughter into the next room. Bella followed behind me, obviously eager and curious. I walked in on Alice twirling Annabelle like a ballerina endlessly, never ceasing her pace. I leaned against the doorframe, watching them.

"Do you want to have a little sister?" Alice asked excitedly, beaming with glee. What a question—Annabelle had been asking for a little sister since Alice and I were first married. She wanted someone to mentor, to makeover, and to dress up. Naturally, she took after Alice in everyway possible.

Annabelle spun out of Alice's grasp and looked at her dizzily, confused. She looked over at me, then back at Alice before a grin spread across her face. Alice picked her up, hugging her and twirling around. I didn't remember our company; instead I watched the two wonderful women of my life twirl around the kitchen.

"How many months?" Annabelle asked as Alice set her down.

"Six, but I need you to help me paint the guest room and pick out all the clothes and the color schemes and the toys and the—" Alice continued, but as I walked over behind Alice, wrapping my arms around her waist to place my hands on her stomach, pressing a small kiss to her cheek, her voice died off. She leaned back in my arms, turned to face me with a perfect grin before nuzzling her nose with my own and placing her hands over mine. "I love you," she murmured.

"I love you," I echoed. She suddenly turned to look at Edward, Bella, and Sam. Jumping as if she hadn't realized they were here, she pried herself from my arms and darted over to see her nephew as her brother offered congratulations. Annabelle leaned against my side and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders as we watched Alice's energy only blossom.

Seven years—seven long years…

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**A/N: Hopefully you liked it! :) I am going to start my new story while still updating this one with out takes/deleted scenes, but I need your help again: what should the title be? I'm going to do a mix between a lot of high school soap opera type shows (Degrassi, Beautiful People, 90210, etc.) Should the title be: Miss Matched, Cherry Crush, Leave me Hypnotized, or His/Her Muse. Leave a review with your choice. **

**Thank you for following this story! It's been a milestone for me. Finally finished and yet I still have more to do. I am a bit disappointed in the way this epilogue came out, but hopefully you aren't. Love you all and thank you for reading. Don't expect an update on this too quickly, but I won't forget about it. So far I have two deleted scenes: Jasper at the Hampton house and the wedding. I may take requests, but for now, no. School's starting soon. Lame, I know.**

**Anyway, thank you again! Hope you enjoyed!**


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